The effect of early visual experience on spatial maze learning in rats.
In the 1st of 2 experiments on spatial ability, groups of sighted and blind, light-reared (LR) and dark-reared (DR) rats were tested on a series of (Hebb-Williams) maze problems and their reversals under appetitive and aversive reinforcement conditions. Significant effects due to early rearing conditions, vision at time of testing, and problem were found. Dark-reared rats learned the problems whose solution depended on nonvisual cues more slowly than LR animals. Blindness at time of testing had a significantly adverse effect on the performance of LR and DR rats on all problems, but a significantly greater effect in the DR animals. In a 2nd experiment DR rats were also found to perform less effectively than LR rats on a 17-arm radial maze throughout a 36-day period during which variations in the task were introduced. The results reveal the impact of early visual experience on the development of the ability to acquire spatial concepts.
D000818:Animals; D001766:Blindness / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007858:Learning; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012193:Reversal Learning; D013028:Space Perception; D013037:Spatial Behavior