Visual discrimination learning under conditions of interocular conflict in hooded and albino rats

Hooded and albino rats were trained on a paradigm of interocular conflict, in which the animals were trained on a discrimination of vertically inverted triangles with one eye, and on the reversed discrimination with the other eye on alternate days. Albino rats acquired the conflicting tasks as quickly as a single monocularly trained task. Hooded rats required considerably longer training on the conflicting discriminations. The role of some non-visual behavioral strategies in the performance of the conflicting tasks was explored, and possible mechanisms are discussed with reference to the different size of the ipsilateral optic projection in hooded and albino rats.