Michael Beecher, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology and Adjunct Professor of Biology
| Degree From: Boston University |
| Interests: Animal Behavior, Animal Communication, Sensory Processes |
Contact
Advising
| Do I accept and train new psychology graduate students in general? |
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| Yes |
| Am I accepting new graduate students in the upcoming year? |
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| Yes 2010-2011 |
| Animal Behavior |
Research
My present research focuses on the function and the development of song. Our study species is the song sparrow. The first aspect (function) is pursued in the field, via a long-term banding and recording program combined with field experiments (mostly playback studies). The second aspect (development) is pursued both in the field, where we focus on young males we have banded in the nest or netted during their first summer, and in the laboratory, where we attempt to recreate the key conditions identified in the field studies. Our laboratory song-learning studies use multiple live _tutors_ or 'virtual' tutors, i.e., computer-controlled, interactive presentation of songs designed to simulate live birds. We hope to identify the interactive features of singing that make social (live) tutors so much more effective than non-interactive tape tutors. We are also doing integrative, collaborative studies of the role of neural song centers in song perception and production (collaborative with Eliot Brenowitz).
Research Publications
- Burt, J. M., Campbell, S. E. & Beecher, M. D. (2001) Song type matching as threat: a test using interactive playback. Animal Behaviour, 62, 1163-1170.
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- "Nordby, J. C., Campbell, S. E. & Beecher M. D. (2001) Late song learning in song sparrows. Animal Behaviour, 61, 835-846.
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Research Support
In the News
