Abstract
Rats were trained in a standard 12-arm radial maze task. Following training, each trial consisted of a sequence of 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 choices, followed by a 15-min delay, which then was followed by a choice between a single arm and a response manipulandum mounted in the center of the maze. An arm visit was reinforced if the arm had not been visited prior to the delay, whereas a manipulandum response was reinforced if the arm had been visited. It was found that rats are relatively more likely to reject arms by responding to the manipulandum following a delay occurring late in the choice sequence. This indicates that the choice criterion used by rats in the radial maze becomes more strict as the choice sequence progresses. Such a process provides an alternative explanation for some of the data recently reported by Cook, Brown, and Riley (1985).
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This research was supported by National Science Foundation Grant BNS-8317577 to D. A. Riley. Support during preparation of the manuscript was provided by National Institute of Mental Health Grant RO1 MH42646 to M. F. Brown.
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Brown, M.F., Wheeler, E.A. & Riley, D.A. Evidence for a shift in the choice criterion of rats in a 12-arm radial maze. Animal Learning & Behavior 17, 12–20 (1989). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03205208
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03205208