A novel contextual dimension for use with an operant chamber: from simple to hierarchical forms of learning.
A novel procedure is described in which the floor temperatures (warm and cool) in an operant chamber are used as contextual cues in 2 experiments with rats. Experiment 1 demonstrated that rats learn the relationship between these thermal contexts and auditory stimuli that have been paired with them. Experiment 2 showed that thermal contexts can serve a conditional function that (a) reflects the operation of a mechanism that is common to conventional, visual contexts and (b) is bound to these contexts' ability to retrieve the nature of the relationship between the auditory stimuli and food.
School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Wales, United Kingdom. ward-robinsonj@cf.ac.uk
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Ward-Robinson
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Honey
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D003463:Cues; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats / Q000523:psychology*; D013696:Temperature