Teaching Laboratory Rats to Run a Complex Maze
A Researcher's Experiment on Training Laboratory Rats
A researcher is training laboratory rats to run a complex maze. Each time the rats learn a new part of the maze, they are rewarded with a pellet of food. Within a few hours, the rats have learned the entire maze. What technique did the researcher use to teach the rats the maze?
Technique Used: Shaping
The technique that was used by the researcher who was training laboratory rats to run a complex maze is Shaping. Shaping is a form of reinforcement in which desired behaviors are strengthened while those that are not desired are not strengthened. Specifically, when using a shaping technique, each approximate desired behavior that is demonstrated is reinforced, while behaviors that are not approximations of the desired behavior are not reinforced.
In the experiment shown above, we see shaping being exemplified in the fact that the researcher rewarded the rats when they learned a new part of the maze which is the desired behavior. Thus, option A is correct.
Chapter 67. A researcher is training laboratory rats to run a complex maze. Each time the rats learn a new part of the maze they are rewarded with a pellet of food. Within a few hours the rats have learned the entire maze. Which of the following did the researcher use to teach the rats the maze? a. Shaping b. Generalization c. Negative reinforcement d. A fixed-interval schedule of reinforcement e. Spontaneous recovery
Final answer: The researcher used operant conditioning to teach the rats the maze. Positive reinforcement through food was used to shape their behavior. It also highlighted cognitive learning demonstrated by the rats forming a 'cognitive map' of the maze in their minds. Explanation: The researcher used a method known as operant conditioning to teach the rats the maze. This is a learning process where an individual's behavior is shaped by reinforcement or punishment. In this case, the rats received positive reinforcement (the food pellet) each time they successfully learned a part of the maze, guiding their behavior towards running the maze correctly. These experiments also demonstrated cognitive learning, indicated when E.C. Tolman found that the rats were making a 'cognitive map' of the maze in their minds, suggesting they understood the layout of the maze not just the sequence of turns. The concept of a 'cognitive map' hints at a higher order of processing than simple conditioning. The studies conducted by Blodgett in the 1920s and Tolman later showed cognitive skills in a simple mammal, highlighting the power of cognitive learning.