Dear MARMAM community,
On behalf of my co-authors and I, we are excited to share our recent
publication titled “Exploring Burst Pulses as Indicators of Positive Affect in
Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) During Match-to-Sample Trials”,
published in the International Journal of Comparative Psychology.
Royse, C.D., Miller, E.C., Johnson, C.M., & Harris, C.R. (2025). Exploring
Burst Pulses as Indicators of Positive Affect in Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops
truncatus) During Match-to-Sample Trials. The International Journal of
Comparative Psychology, 38.https://doi.org/10.46867/ijcp.42260
Abstract:
The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) vocalizations called “burst pulses”
exhibit distinct acoustic properties and can potentially be linked to affective
states. This study aimed to determine if dolphins produce burst pulses during
match-to-sample with both successful and unsuccessful outcomes and to explore
any association with positive affect. We observed that burst pulses occurred in
74% of match-to-sample trials (in which the subject views a sample object and
selects the match from a group of alternative objects), with a significantly
higher frequency during correct responses. Additionally, there was a notable
difference in the proportion of burst pulses occurring before versus after the
trainer’s bridge, with more burst pulses occurring before the trainer’s bridge.
The timing and characteristics of these burst pulses suggest they may be
related to the dolphins’ interest and excitement rather than merely a response
to reinforcement. These findings provide new insights into the complexity of
dolphin vocalizations and their potential connection to affective states.
You can find the full publication (open access) here:
https://doi.org/10.46867/ijcp.42260.
Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions ([email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>).
All the best,
Christianna D. Royse
Ph.D. Student | Experimental Psychology
Harris Lab + Dolphin Cognition Lab
University of California, San Diego
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