Observational learning of instrumental discriminations in the rat: the role of demonstrator type.

In two experiments, observer rats saw a pretrained demonstrator rat of either the same or a different strain engaging in a discrimination task in which the presentation of a discriminative stimulus indicated whether performing a particular response (pulling a chain) would be reinforced. In both experiments an effect of demonstrator familiarity was found: Observers of a demonstrator from a different strain behaved in a manner that was consistent with the demonstrator whereas observers of a demonstrator from the same strain did not. These results suggest that an effect akin to latent inhibition operates in the social domain: Familiarity with the demonstrator retards the readiness with which observational learning proceeds.