The effect of maze structure upon the performance of a multiple-goal task

Abstract

The ability of rats to find food in three kinds of mazes (radial, parallel, antiradial) was studied. Each maze had eight goalboxes. All goals were baited at the beginning of a trial, and the animal's task was to retrieve food from all eight goals. The task was divided into two phases. In the first phase, the animal was allowed access to four randomly chosen goalboxes. Once the animal had visited all four of the goals, the second phase of the trial began, in which the animal was allowed access to all eight goalboxes. The animals showed a strong initial tendency to avoid already visited goalboxes in the radial maze, but not in the parallel maze. In the antiradial maze, the animals showed a strong initial tendency to avoid already visited goalboxes during the first phase of the trial, but not in the second phase. Significant improvement in performance over sessions was seen only in groups that did not have a strong initial tendency to avoid already visited goalboxes. These data suggest that maze structure influences performance by producing different initial patterns of exploration that may be either appropriate or inappropriate to the multiple-goal task.

Spatial memory in pigeons (Columba livia) in an open-field feeding environment.

“…A second reason for developing the ground-feeding spatial memory apparatus was that it seemed to offer more flexibility for studying pigeons' spatial working memory as a function of the spatial organization of the food sites. Studies with rats have shown that the structure of mazes can have dramatic effects on accuracy levels and response strategies (e.g., Horner, 1984). Thus, in addition to providing a general test of pigeons' working memory abilities in an open-room ground-feeding environment, the present study also provided a preliminary examination of the effect of different spatial arrangements on pigeons' choice behavior.…”

Distinction between places and paths in rats' spatial representations.

“…This phenomenon, termed spontaneous alternation or win-shift , has been documented in a variety of maze structures including the T maze, Y maze, and radial-arm maze. Several studies in the spontaneous alternation literature have indicated that novelty (Gaffan & Davies, 1982) and the spatial distinctiveness of the choice alternatives (Douglas, Mitchell, & Del Valle, 1974; Douglas, Mitchell, & Kentala, 1972; Horner, 1984; Schenk & Grobety, 1992) play crucial roles in spontaneous alternation behavior.…”

Foraging experience affects gerbils' (Meriones unguiculatus) radial arm maze performance.

“…Olton (e.g., 1978) suggested that this ability is a result of a natural “win-shift” foraging strategy, that is, a tendency for the animal to avoid recently visited food sites. This notion has generated a fair amount of criticism (e.g., Gaffan & Davies, 1981; Horner, 1984; Wilkie & Slobin, 1983) but remarkably little empirical data. One of the few relevant experiments—Olton and Schlosberg's (1978) demonstration that young rats learn “win-shift” easier than “win-stay” tasks—has been criticized for confounding task difficulty with the win versus stay conditions (Horner, 1984).…”