Problem solving in the rat: Piecemeal acquisition of cognitive maps

Ellen, Paul; Soteres, B. J.; Wages, Charlene

doi:10.3758/bf03213147

Cited by 62 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…This map can in turn be used to generate novel relationships between elements that have never been experienced or observed together, and given a subset of cues from the map can also be used to determine the location of absent cues. For example, a novel route between two spatial locations can be computed (i.e., a spatial inference) for use when learned routes become unavailable (e.g., Tolman 1948; see also O'Keefe and Nadel 1978; Ellen et al 1984).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integration of spatial maps in pigeons

Blaisdell

Cook

2004

Anim Cogn

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The integration of spatial maps in pigeons was investigated using a spatial analog to sensory preconditioning. The pigeons were tested in an open-field arena in which they had to locate hidden food among a 4×4 grid of gravel-filled cups. In phase 1, the pigeons were exposed to a consistent spatial relationship (vector) between landmark L (a red L-shaped block of wood), landmark T (a blue Tshaped block of wood) and the hidden food goal. In phase 2, the pigeons were then exposed to landmark T with a different spatial vector to the hidden food goal. Following phase 2, pigeons were tested with trials on which they were presented with only landmark L to examine the potential integration of the phase 1 and 2 vectors via their shared common elements. When these test trials were preceded by phase 1 and phase 2 reminder trials, pigeons searched for the goal most often at a location consistent with their integration of the L→T phase 1 and T→phase 2 goal vectors. This result indicates that integration of spatial vectors acquired during phases 1 and 2 allowed the pigeons to compute a novel L→goal vector. This suggests that spatial maps may be enlarged by successively integrating additional spatial information through the linkage of common elements.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integration of spatial maps in pigeons

Blaisdell

Cook

2004

Anim Cogn

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“…the whole apparatus must have been investigated: exploration of either the runways only or the tables only leads to unsuccessful performance . In another experiment (Ellen, Soteres, & Wages, 1984), rats were allowed to explore either one or two tables of the apparatus on successive days. The test was administered after all the tables and runways had been explored in this piecemeal fashion.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of exploratory experience in a shortcut task by golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

Chapuis

Durup

Thinus‐Blanc

1987

Animal Learning & Behavior

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The aim of this experiment was to examine the role of exploratory experience on the ability to take a shortcut. In the first phase, two subspaces, X and Y, each consisting of two baited tables related by a runway, were separately explored by hamsters. In the second phase, the experimental group explored a connecting pathway between X and Y. The animals were finally submitted to a shortcut test during 2 days: in this test, in order to go from X to Y, they could choose between the longer familiar pathway and two shorter new pathways. In comparison with a control group, which did not undergo the second phase, the experimental group displayed a significant preference for the shortcut that did not cross the linking path with which they had had experience or either of the two distant portions whose linkage the animals had experienced. These results suggest that, in this simple situation, additional experience of a linking element between two separated subspaces has a beneficial effect on the setting up of spatial relationships between them, and perhaps on. the representation of the whole situation.Spatial problem-solving, shorteut, and detour tasks have been widely used to test the cognitive abilities of several species of mammals (e.g., rats-Maier, 1929rats-Maier, , 1932Tolman & Honzik, 1930; Tolman, Ritchie, & Kalish, 1946;Stahl & Ellen, 1974; hamsters-Chapuis & Lavergne, 1980; monkeys-Kohler, 1925;Menzel, 1973; catsPoucet, Thinus-Blanc, & Chapuis, 1983; dogs-Chapuis, Thinus-Blanc, & Poucet, 1983; Chapuis & Varlet, 1987). The animals' success in these tasks appears to be highly related to a sudden understanding of some relationship between different elements of the problem. This "insight" can be defined as a reorganization of previously processed information, leading to an original solution (for example, the use of a path never experienced before). Thus, the preliminary investigatory phase during which information is gathered is crucial. Using a classical spatial problemsolving task (Maier's three-table task), Ellen, Parko, Wages, Doherty, and Herrmann (1982), Hemnann, Bahr, Bremmer, and Ellen (1982), and Stahl and Ellen (1974 have shown in rats that exploration is indeed a necessary factor in the achievement of a solution. More generally, exploratory behavior appears to be basic to the setting up of spatial relationships. According to Tolman (1948) and O' Keefe and Nadel (1978), the function of exploratory activity is to constitute new cognitive maps or to update existing maps. This updating function of exploration has been very simply demonstrated in gerbils (Cheal, 1978;Wilz & Bolton, 1971) and in hamsters (Poucet, Durup, Chapuis, & Thinus-Blanc, 1986; Thinus-Blanc, in press). After habituation of exploration in an open field containing objects, the rearrangement of familiar objects elicitsThe authors are grateful to T. Herrmann (Guelph, Ontario) and to the late P. Ellen (Atlanta, Georgia) for their helpful comments on the manuscript. The authors' address is: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Labo...

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“…However, given the opportunity to experience the connections or associations among these locations, over time animals are able to integrate once independent pieces of information (e.g. Ellen, Soteres, & Wages, 1984) and navigate well through an environment initially learned in a piecemeal fashion. From these results it has been argued that animals combine related representations as they gain more experience with the environment (Poucet, 1993).…”

Section: The Current Investigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Switching between environmental representations in memory

Brockmole

Wang

2002

Cognition

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In everyday life we accomplish tasks that require the storage and access of mental representations of different environments that we are not currently perceiving. Past research has suggested that environments are encoded by a series of independent representations that are organized in memory. Three experiments tested this idea further by asking whether multiple representations of environments can be accessed simultaneously. Using a cued task-set switching paradigm, subjects judged spatial relationships between target locations in two familiar environments. Response times were longer when successive trials probed different environments, an effect not due to switching between semantic categories or semantic priming, suggesting that representations of environments are accessed sequentially. Implications for various hypotheses concerning the properties of environmental representations are discussed. q

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Problem solving in the rat: Piecemeal acquisition of cognitive maps

Cited by 62 publications

References 8 publications

Integration of spatial maps in pigeons

Integration of spatial maps in pigeons

The role of exploratory experience in a shortcut task by golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

Switching between environmental representations in memory

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