Department of Psychology

Laboratory of Comparative Hearing

Comparative Hearing LabPsychobiology, also known as behavioral neuroscience, is the application of the principles of biology to the study of mental processes and behavior in human and non-human animals. Psychobiologists study a variety of anatomical, physiological, and genetic variables and attempt to relate them to psychological or behavioral factors. The research in our laboratory is directed toward understanding hearing and sound localization in mammals, using computer applications and operant conditioning techniques, as well as psychophysical methods, evolutionary theory, and comparative acoustics.

The purpose of the links below is to make widely available information on the hearing of mammals. Much of this information was obtained by the Laboratory of Comparative Hearing, which began in 1973 at Parsons State Hospital and Training Center, Parsons, KS, and moved in 1987 to the Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.

If you are interested in joining our lab (either as an undergraduate or graduate student), it is often helpful to send us an e-mail (henry.heffner@utoledo.edu, rickye.heffner@utoledo.edu), to let us know of your interest. To apply to the graduate program, send your graduate application to the Experimental Psychology Program, indicating your interest in Psychobiology & Learning (specifically, the Laboratory of Comparative Hearing). The deadline for applications is January 15.

Mammalian Audiograms

Hearing and Sound Localization in Animals

Lesion Studies

Tinnitus

Cattle Earmites

Mental Retardation Studies

Defending the Use of Animals in Research

Electrophysiological Studies

Last Updated: 6/27/22