Experiential aspects of exploratory behavior in rats

Abstract

Twenty-four male rats were reared under three feeding conditions. These conditions manipulated the number and variety of exploratory behaviors required to obtain diets of powdered food and water in feeding boxes. One group performed minimal exploratory responses to obtain their diets. Another group shuttled between two feeding stations, thereby executing several exploratory components, primarily locomotor. The third group performed a considerable number and variety of exploratory components in search of their diets, located unsystematically throughout the feeding box. Adult testing occurred without food and water in an apparatus resembling the feeding boxes. The results showed that exploratory behavior was affected by feeding conditions, enhanced with increased dietary deprivation, and reduced across both trials and within-trial intervals. These results indicate that the particular exploratory behavior measured must be selected by reference to the subjects' prior experience. © 1978 Psychonomic Society, Inc.