Gilroy Kerry E, Pearce John M
School of Psychology, Cardiff University.
J Exp Psychol Anim Learn Cogn. 2014 Apr;40(2):212-24. doi: 10.1037/xan0000017.
In 4 experiments that investigated latent spatial learning, rats were repeatedly placed on a submerged platform in a corner of a square swimming pool with walls of different brightness. When they were subsequently released into the pool for a test trial in the absence of the platform, they spent the majority of time in the corner used for placement training-the correct corner. This effect was observed in Experiment 1, even when the test trial took place in a transformed version of the training arena. Experiments 2 and 3 indicated that the correct corner was identified by local cues based on the walls creating the corner. Experiment 4 demonstrated that distal cues created by the two walls that did not surround the platform during placement training could also be used to identify the correct corner. There was no evidence of learning about the relationship between global cues provided by the entire arena and the goal. The absence of the opportunity to develop instrumental, stimulus-response associations during placement training indicates that stimulus-stimulus associations acquired during this training were sufficient to guide rats to the platform when they were eventually released into the pool.
在4项研究潜在空间学习的实验中，大鼠被反复放置在一个方形游泳池角落的水下平台上，游泳池的墙壁有不同的亮度。随后，当它们在没有平台的情况下被放入池中进行测试时，它们大部分时间都待在用于放置训练的角落——正确的角落。即使测试是在训练场地的变形版本中进行，在实验1中也观察到了这种效应。实验2和3表明，正确的角落是由基于构成角落的墙壁的局部线索来识别的。实验4表明，在放置训练期间由不围绕平台的两面墙产生的远处线索也可用于识别正确的角落。没有证据表明大鼠学习了整个场地提供的全局线索与目标之间的关系。在放置训练期间缺乏形成工具性刺激-反应关联的机会表明，在此训练期间获得的刺激-刺激关联足以在大鼠最终被放入池中时引导它们找到平台。
