Learning in Chronically Protein-Deprived Rats

Abstract

I am going to describe findings which are somewhat at variance with the findings that others have presented. Cowley and Griesel (1959, 1963) reported differences in the learning ability of protein-deprived and adequately nourished rats. In a number of the presentations made today it has been pointed out that motivational differences, motor differences, and attentional differences can all affect learning without necessarily reflecting any differences in learning ability per se. In fact, it was rather elegantly demonstrated that when proper attention is paid to such factors, it is extremely difficult to find differences in learning ability between well nourished and poorly nourished animals. However, it should be noted that Cowley and Griesel’s studies differed from those reported today not just with respect to the nature of the findings but with regard to the nature of the animals studied as well. That is, the animals which Cowley and Griesel found to be most deficient in learning were protein-deprived animals born to and reared by animals which had themselves been protein-deprived.