Variation in arm‐choice strategies of rats in radial‐maze tasks

Abstract

Rats were trained with three delay-interpolated tasks in a radial-arm maze. The tasks differed in the post-delay bait conditions. When every arm was baited in the post-delay free choices (Task E8B), rats made adjacent-arm choices frequently. When only the four arms unvisited in the pre-delay forced choices were baited after delay (Task U4B), rats chose unvisited arms preferentially, with frequent arm investigations. When four quasi-randomly selected arms were baited after delay (Task R4B), rats did not choose adjacent arms as frequently as the rats in Task E8B did, and made fewer arm investigations. These results indicate that the rats developed different arm-choice strategies in accordance with tasks. As for the effects of rewarding, post-delay choice behavior was not affected by the pre-delay bait conditions.

Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and the radial arm maze: Spatial memory and serial position effects.

“…Radial arm mazes can be used to investigate a wide range of canine memory in numerous ways. Such mazes are been used to demonstrate passive and active learning (Dimattia & Kesner, 1984), spatial navigation cues (Babb & Crystal, 2003), spatial and nonspatial memory strategies (Levy et al, 2007), effects of delays (Haga, 1998) serial position effects (Tapp et al, 2003), and even more specific phenomena such as food-storage behavior (Jones et al, 1990). Further research is required to investigate whether all of these phenomena can be measured in the dog using the same apparatus.…”

Spatial Memory in Hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus):Depleting/replenishing Environments and Pre-choiceBehaviors in the Radial Arm Maze

“…If no algorithms are used, then picking-up visual, haptic, or smell information from arm entrances could play an important role in the spatial orientation required to choose among arms within the RAM (Brown, 1992;Suzuki, Augerinos, & Black, 1980;Zoladek & Roberts, 1978). If spatial orientation by context cues is determinant for performance in the RAM, then subjects should exhibit observational responses and explore different places before choosing to accept or reject an arm (Brown & Cook, 1986;Haga, 1998).…”