Abstract
An automated apparatus for measuring the rate of avoidance conditioning in small animals was described. The machine consisted of a connecting series of five inclined ramps and five chambers, arranged staircase-wise, and was electronically designed to present five identical environmental situations to an animal in temporal sequence without interference from the investigator. After a group of ten animals was run ten times each through the machine, two sets of 500 readings were easily analysed into learning curves. Results are presented for the genera Microtus, Onychomys, Perognathus, Peromycus, three strains of Mus. The genera and strains all exhibit differing behaviours in the machine. The improvement in performance was apparent from the significant difference in readings obtained in the early and late trials in two strains of Mus and in Peromyscus. The wild Mus commensal, Mus m. ‘Mo.’, was the only strain however that exhibited early avoidance conditioning. The employment and the advantages of the apparatus are discussed. Moreover, certain relationships between the learning characteristics of the various mouse types and their behavioural profiles, as well as neurochemical and other data described from this laboratory, are speculated upon.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
