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Using MazeSuite and Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy to Study Learning in Spatial Navigation
Published on: October 8, 2011
Studies in spatial learning. I. Orientation and the short-cut. 1946
Journal of Experimental Psychology. General
|December 1, 1992
Summary
Rats demonstrate goal expectation by choosing direct paths when their usual route is blocked. This behavior suggests cognitive mapping and parallels human symbolic behavior, validating the term "expectation."
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Theories of expectancy and stimulus-response doctrines present challenges in distinguishing cognitive expectations from learned behaviors.
- Previous definitions of expectancy were conflated with practiced path-following, necessitating a revised conceptualization.
Discussion:
- This study investigates a refined definition of expectancy, where 'expecting a goal' means choosing a direct path to a location.
- Experiments with 56 female rats tested this definition under conditions where the original path was blocked.
Key Insights:
- Thirty-six percent of rats successfully navigated towards the goal location via a direct path when their usual route was obstructed.
- The remaining rats exhibited chance-level path selection, indicating a non-random, goal-directed strategy in a subset of the population.
Outlook:
- Findings support the conclusion that rats learn to anticipate goals in specific spatial locations.
- The observed behavior shares significant similarities with human symbolic behavior, justifying the use of 'expectation' for goal-directed shortcutting.
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E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...