Duration discrimination by rats.
A psychophysical procedure was used to determine the difference limen for the duration of a signal that ranged from .5 to 8.0 sec. The accuracy of three rats in keeping track of the duration was assumed to be limited by three factors: (a) inattention to the signal on some trials, (b) variability in starting to time the duration when the signal begins (and/or in stopping to time the duration when the signal ends), and (c) factors related to signal duration itself. A generalized Weber model provided a better approximation to the growth in the difference limen as a function of signal than a generalized Counter model.
D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D004597:Electroshock; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011603:Psychophysiology; D051381:Rats; D012201:Reward; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior; D013997:Time Factors