Inhibition vs. Thigmotropism vs. Centrifugal Swing as Determinants of the Initial Turn Alternation Phenomenon in Armadillidium Vulgare

EFFECT OF INTERTRIAL INTERVAL AND REMOVAL OF THE SUPRAPHARYNGEAL GANGLION UPON SPONTANEOUS ALTERNATION IN THE EARTHWORM, <I>PHERETIMA COMMUNISSIMA</I>

“…However, the present findings are more consistent with the previous studies which failed to find greater-than-chance alternation and any significant effect of intertrial interval upon alternation in lower organism such as cochroaches (Iwahara, 1956), and isopods (Iwahara, 1963;Iwahara & Suzuki, 1964). Even though greater-than-chance alternation was reported with paramecia (Lepley & Rice, 1952) and with mealworms (Grosslight & Tichnor, 1953), the observed behavior is not what is commonly called spontaneous alternation, but is a turning response opposite to the previously forced turn in the same maze.…”

“…Secondly, the subject variance was always statistically significant when latency, running time and VTE were used, while it was always insignificant in terms of alternation. Similar results were found with cochroaches (Iwahara, 1956;Iwahara & Soeda, 1957) and with isopods (Iwahara, 1963;Iwahara & Suzuki, 1964). However, the significant subject variance was observed in alternation when rats were used as Ss (Iwahara, 1957; same result was obtained with human Ss from the analysis of our previous studies in human alternation (Iwahara, 1959).…”

“…Even though greater-than-chance alternation was reported with paramecia (Lepley & Rice, 1952) and with mealworms (Grosslight & Tichnor, 1953), the observed behavior is not what is commonly called spontaneous alternation, but is a turning response opposite to the previously forced turn in the same maze. Both of these studies explained the results in terms of reactive inhibition; however, their find-ings were shown to be more properly ascribed to thigmotropism rather than reactive inhibition (Iwahara, 1963).…”

“…Although it is hard to explain the discrepancy, the present studies with rats (Dember & Fowler, 1958) and lower organisms (Iwahara, 1956(Iwahara, , 1963.…”

Continuous Spontaneous Alternation and Turn Alternation in Artemia sp.

“…For instance, if the animals were forced to turn left at an earlier choice point, when provided with two choices (left vs. right) at the next choice point, they tended to turn right. Interestingly, if the animals were forced to turn in the same direction multiple times, the turn alternation tendency is strengthened, whereas the alternation tendency is weakened as a function of distance travelled since the forced turn (Wilson & Fowler, 1976; for review see Iwahara, 1963). Hughes (1989) offered a conceptual differentiation between these two behavioral instantiations of the alternation tendency.…”