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Updated: Sep 28, 2026
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Published on: October 15, 2021
Carryover effects associated with the single-trial passive avoidance learning task in the young chick
Simon F Crowe1, Matthew W Hale
1School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3086, Australia. s.crowe@latrobe.edu.au
Insights
Investigating chick learning, this study found that bead presentation after training significantly impacts memory retention. A refined passive avoidance task procedure is proposed to improve the accuracy of memory assessment in young chicks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- The single-trial passive avoidance task is crucial for studying learning and memory in young chicks.
- Discrepancies in results across laboratories may stem from variations in training protocols.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate parameters influencing the passive avoidance task in young chicks.
- To identify a more reliable method for assessing memory in avian models.
Main Methods:
- Utilized day-old White Leghorn and Black Australorp cockerels for experiments.
- Examined the effect of bead presentation immediately after aversive training.
- Evaluated a novel passive avoidance procedure with pretraining, training, and testing phases using a single bead type.
Main Results:
- Immediate post-aversive bead presentation significantly altered retention levels.
- Chicks showed impaired discrimination between beads for 10 minutes after aversive exposure.
- A modified procedure using pretraining, aversive training, and a dry bead test improved memory characterization.
Conclusions:
- The timing and type of bead presentation critically affect memory recall in chicks.
- A refined passive avoidance task, incorporating pretraining and specific testing, minimizes carryover effects.
- This optimized procedure offers a more accurate assessment of memory phenomena in avian subjects.
Abstract:
The single-trial passive avoidance task is a useful procedure for examining learning and memory in the young chick. However, it has recently been suggested that discrepant results reported by different laboratories are due to differences in training procedure. The present study investigated a number of parameters surrounding the passive avoidance task, using day-old White Leghorn, Black Australorp cockerels. The results suggested that presentation of a water-dipped bead immediately after the aversive bead significantly altered retention levels. In addition, when the water-dipped bead was presented after the aversive bead, chicks failed to discriminate between beads for a period of 10 min following exposure to the aversant experience. A novel variant of the passive avoidance procedure, involving pretraining with a water-dipped red bead, training with an aversant-coated red bead, and testing with a dry red bead, was evaluated. A measure of avoidance was calculated using all three trials. It is suggested that the use of a single bead, measured both before and after the training experience and using both aversant- and water-trained controls, results in the most concise characterization of memory-related phenomena in the chick which is not contaminated by a carryover effect from the aversive training experience to the nonaversive bead.
