Abstract
A procedure for the rapid training of rats on a delayed conditional discrimination task is described. During a 10-sec sample period, a tone was presented and stimulus lights were either on over both levers or off over both levers. Following a delay, the light over only one of the levers was illuminated, and responding was reinforced on either the lighted or the dark lever, depending on whether the lights over both levers had been on or off during the sample period. With a sample-choice delay of.01 sec, rats acquired this task to a mean of 86% correct within 9 days of approximately 619 trials per day. Performance over increasing delays was studied, with accuracy falling to chance levels at 32 sec. Responding was biased toward the light-on zero-delay trials, but there was no light bias with longer delays. A signal detection analysis of the data showed a smooth relationship between an index of sensitivity (A′) and delay.
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In conducting the research described in this report, the investigators adhered to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, as promulgated by the Committee on Care and Use of Laboratory Animals of the Institute of Laboratory Animal Resources, National Research Council. The views of the authors do not purport to reflect the position of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense (para 4-3, AR 360-5).
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Parkinson, J.K., Elsmore, T.F. A delayed discrimination procedure for rats. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 27, 49–51 (1989). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329894
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329894