Do Cockatiels Choose Their Favourite Tunes?
Author Information
Author(s): Le Covec Mathilde, Di Stasi Romain, Aimé Carla, Bouet Léa, Watanabe Shigeru, Bovet Dalila
Primary Institution: Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, Paris Nanterre University
Hypothesis
Cockatiels, being vocal learners, would exhibit individual music preferences and be able to use a touchscreen to display their preferred music.
Conclusion
Some cockatiels displayed individual musical preferences, indicating that they are sensitive to music.
Supporting Evidence
- Some cockatiels showed individual preferences for either rock and roll or calm music.
- No preferences were found for consonance or dissonance.
- Touchscreen interaction could enhance the welfare of captive animals by allowing them to choose their preferred music.
Takeaway
Cockatiels can learn to choose their favorite music using a touchscreen, and some of them prefer rock and roll over calm music.
Methodology
The study involved training cockatiels to use a touchscreen to select between different types of music, with various conditions to test their preferences.
Potential Biases
The study's findings may be influenced by the device's limitations and the presence of the experimenter.
Limitations
The touchscreen device did not function as expected, which may have affected the results.
Participant Demographics
Twelve cockatiels, with some born in the laboratory and others sourced from a breeder.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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