Failure to observe visual discrimination in old gerbils: replication report.
A recent study showed that while young gerbils can learn a visual line discrimination task, old gerbils cannot. That study has been criticized for not equating the motivational levels of the two age groups. The present study attempted to answer that criticism. Accordingly, two groups of old gerbils (total N = 10) were motivated either by a 22 hour food deprivation schedule or an 80% reduction in their ad lib weight. All animals were tested in a T-maze with sunflower seed reinforcers (highly prized by gerbils) being associated with horizontal or vertical stripes. As in the earlier study, these old gerbils did not acquire the visual discrimination.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005849:Gerbillinae; D014796:Visual Perception