Visual stimulus complexity and food vs. food alone as rewards for rats

Abstract

Abstract111 three experiments, normally reared hooded rats were exposed to a T maze with the same black-white pattern in each arm and were later tested with the pattern in one arm changed. Half the Ss received food for entering the unchanged arm and halffor entering the changed arm.

Pretest exposure, changes in pattern complexity, and choice.

“…The findings from Trials 1 and 31, that the majority of Ss entered the temporally changed arm, support the usefulness of using temporal changes in pattern as a basis for determining choice behavior. They are consistent with previous data (Earl, Franken, & May, 1967;May et al, 1965;Musselman, 1963) and with the theoretical analysis suggested by .…”

Alternation as a function of drive level and visual complexity

“…The failure to obtain a decrease in response to temporal complexity over days, either as a result of rewarded trials or repetition, is attributed to the method of pacing temporal stimulus complexity. Sackett, Keith-Lee, & Treat (1963) and May, Beauchamp, & Pollock (1965) have shown that rats will choose a visually complex stimulus over food in a T maze. One problem with both studies is the failure to adequately familiarize Ss with the presence of food reward prior to the introduction of the complex stimulus.…”