Spatial memory for food hidden by rats (Rattus norvegicus) on the radial maze: Studies of memory for where, what, and when
Rats (Rattus norvegicus) were allowed to hide food items on an 8-arm radial maze by carrying the items from the center to boxes at the end of each arm. Retrieval tests given after rats had hidden 4 items showed that they selectively returned to the maze arms where food had been hidden (Experiments 1 and […]
Effects of caloric, protein, and sodium deprivation on the affiliative behavior of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus)
The tendency of food-deprived, protein-deprived, and sodium-deprived Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and their respective controls to affiliate with conspecifics deprived of either food, protein, or sodium was examined. The authors found that (a) independent of internal state, focal rats offered a forced choice between protein-deprived and protein-replete target rats spent more time near replete than […]
The effects of environmental control on cognition in rats (Rattus norvegicus)
The aim of this study was to allow nonhuman animals to control their environment using operant conditioning procedures and to assess the effect of control on cognitive tasks. The study tested 4 predictions: (a) rats (Rattus norvegicus) will control a light stimulus; (b) animals will exhibit preferences for particular stimulus strengths; (c) animals who exert […]