Year: 2007
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Since the 1930s, researchers have framed rat locomotion in a lit open field in terms of \nfear and anxiety. Modern studies have continued this interpretation, describing open field \nbehavior in terms of security optimization. Since rats are a prey animal, such hypotheses \ncertainly seem ecologically appropriate, and empirical research supports them. Rats \nplaced in a new environment will spend most of their time next to walls or objects \nthat provide some protection. However, the structure of rat movement in an open field \ncannot be predicted solely by fear reduction or ”security optimization.” The sex of the \nanimal, the lighting conditions, and the temporal stability of the environment can all \nsignificantly affect the ambulation of rats in a novel or familiar environment devoid of \nfood. Additionally, where the rats spend most of their time, their “home base,” is a \nfunction not just of a location’s relative security, but also of its familiarity. These results \nindicate that information gathering has a significant role in rodent exploration, which \ncan supplement and potentially supersede evolutionary pressures to maximize security.
Author: Jeff Alstott
Language: English
Topic: Memory and Neural Mechanisms
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1191821776