Time left in the mouse.
Evidence suggests that the online combination of non-verbal magnitudes (durations, numerosities) is central to learning in both human and non-human animals [Gallistel, C.R., 1990. The Organization of Learning. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA]. The molecular basis of these computations, however, is an open question at this point. The current study provides the first direct test of temporal subtraction in a species in which the genetic code is available. In two experiments, mice were run in an adaptation of Gibbon and Church's [Gibbon, J., Church, R.M., 1981. Time left: linear versus logarithmic subjective time. J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 7, 87-107] time left paradigm in order to characterize typical responding in this task. Both experiments suggest that mice engaged in online subtraction of temporal values, although the generalization of a learned response rule to novel stimulus values resulted in slightly less systematic responding. Potential explanations for this pattern of results are discussed.
Cordes
Sara
S
Duke University, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, 572 Research Dr., GSRB2, Box 91050, Durham, NC 27708-91050, United States. scordes@duke.edu
King
Adam Philip
AP
Gallistel
C R
CR
D000818:Animals; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005793:Generalization, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D008433:Mathematics; D051379:Mice; D023421:Models, Animal; D013998:Time Perception / Q000502:physiology*