The Phenomenon of Time-Place Learning in the Rat

Abstract

The phenomenon of time-place learning in rodents has been a topic of increasing interest. Discovering what mechanisms are responsible for the formation of time-place learning will provide further insight into the memory processes and foraging techniques of many species. Rats were placed into an apparatus containing four vertical towers. Food was available on top of one tower in the morning and another tower in the evening. Subjects had to learn which tower to ascend at the appropriate time of day in order to receive reinforcement. Experimental conditions involved missing baseline sessions as well as adding probe sessions to normal baseline sessions. Results show that the rodents did learn to associate time of day with location of food. Explanations of the mechanisms involved and future research suggestions were discussed.