Effects of runway training on behavior in the T-maze

Abstract

Two experimental groups (E1 and E2) were first trained in a runway before being transferred to a T-maze in which they received the same number of acquisition trials as a control group (C), which had no prior runway training. Group E2 differed from Group E1 in that it received extinction trials in the runway before being transferred to the T-maze. None of the three groups received any pretraining in either apparatus. It was found that Group E2 made significantly more correct choices in the T-maze than either Group El or Group C. Similarly, Group E1 was superior to Group C. These results, in conjunction with other similar findings, point to the importance of investigating runway training as a potent independent variable having marked effects upon T-maze behavior.