RADIAL-MAZE LEARNING BY LINES OF TASTE-AVERSION-PRONE AND TASTE-AVERSION-RESISTANT RATS

Lines of taste-aversion-prone and taste-aversion-resistant rats have b een developed through 22 generations of bidirectional selective breedi ng for efficient or inefficient taste-aversion conditionability. The p resent study compared these two lines on food-reinforced foraging in a radial-arm maze. The lines, although not identical on all measures ta ken, were equally adept at learning the maze. This finding supports pr ior indications that selective breeding has exerted an effect on learn ing that is highly specific to taste-aversion conditionability. Theref ore, the genetically based line differences in taste-aversion conditio nability cannot be attributed to a genetic difference in general learn ing aptitude.