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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 13, 2025

A Fully Automated Rodent Conditioning Protocol for Sensorimotor Integration and Cognitive Control Experiments

A Fully Automated Rodent Conditioning Protocol for Sensorimotor Integration and Cognitive Control Experiments

Published on: April 15, 2014

Maintained goal-directed control with overtraining on ratio schedules.

Eric Garr¹, Yasmin Padovan-Hernandez², Patricia H Janak^1,2

¹Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.

Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.)

|November 16, 2021

Summary

Goal-directed behavior, often thought to weaken with time, may actually strengthen. This study shows extensive training can maintain or even enhance goal-directed control of actions in rats.

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Area of Science:

Behavioral neuroscience
Cognitive psychology
Animal learning

Background:

Goal-directed actions are typically thought to be overtaken by habitual control with extensive training.
However, the precise trajectory of goal-directed control over extended periods remains debated.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the hypothesis that goal-directed control strengthens over time, rather than weakens.
To examine how action-outcome contiguity influences the development of goal-directed control.

Main Methods:

Rats were trained under different reinforcement schedules (random, fixed ratio, continuous reinforcement).
Goal-directed control was assessed using specific satiety and taste aversion devaluation techniques.
Behavioral control was measured through lever pressing.

Main Results:

Rats exhibited equivalent goal-directed control across different schedules, which appeared to increase over time.
Goal-directed control was maintained even after prolonged training under continuous reinforcement.
No reliable weakening of goal-directed control was observed with extensive training.

Conclusions:

Extensive training does not necessarily lead to the weakening of goal-directed control.
Goal-directed control may strengthen or be robustly maintained with prolonged experience.
Findings challenge the traditional view of habit dominance over goal-directed actions.