LEARNING OF IMITATION AND LEARNING THROUGH IMITATION IN THE WHITE RAT

Abstract

Compared the effect of learning through imitation with that of trial and error learning. 33 albino rats were trained to follow a leader to obtain reward on the elevated T maze (10 trials/day for 15 days). Followers were divided into 3 groups: (a) learned just to follow the leader, (b) learned the response to the light-on cue by following the leader who had been previously trained to discriminate the light-on cue, and (c) by trial and error procedures without any leader. It was found that the learning of and through imitation were possible in white rats. Results confirmed the experiments by N. E. Miller and J. Dollard, and R. M. Church (see 33:3). Learning through imitation was a little more efficient than trial and error learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)