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Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Testing for Metacognitive Responding Using an Odor-based Delayed Match-to-Sample Test in Rats
Published on: June 18, 2018
Rats' knowledge of incorrect responses in a matching-to-sample task
Rebecca L Gurney1, Harvard L Armus
1Department of Psychology, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA. rrasper@utnet.utoledo.edu
Rats may possess metacognitive awareness, understanding when they make incorrect choices. Experiments suggest rats can identify and correct their errors, demonstrating a form of self-knowledge.
Area of Science:
- Animal cognition
- Behavioral neuroscience
- Metacognition in non-human animals
Background:
- The study explores the concept of metacognition in rats, specifically their potential awareness of incorrect responses.
- Previous research has not definitively established whether animals possess this level of self-awareness regarding their decisions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if rats possess knowledge of their incorrect choices in a decision-making task.
- To assess the hypothesis that rats can discriminate between correct and incorrect responses.
Main Methods:
- A matching-to-sample task with a second choice was employed.
- Rats were given a second opportunity to choose a lever, regardless of their initial choice accuracy.
- Reward was contingent on selecting the correct lever on the second choice.
Main Results:
- The experiment provided evidence suggesting rats demonstrated knowledge of their incorrect choices.
- The number of correct second choices following an incorrect first choice was observed to be greater than chance.
Conclusions:
- Rats appear to possess a degree of awareness regarding their incorrect decisions.
- These findings contribute to the understanding of metacognitive abilities in non-human animals.
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