Spatial localization of a goal: Beacon homing and landmark piloting by rats on a radial maze

We performed six experiments in order to examine the ability of rats to use moving beacons and landmarks as cues to the location of reward on an eight -arm radial maze. In Experiments 1-4, the cues and goals were moved before each trial, and groups in which a single beacon was placed on the rewarded arm, a single landmark indicated that reward was on the arm immediately to the left. of a landmark, or two landmarks were placed on each side of the r eward arm were compared. The rats rapidly learned to track the reward in th e beacon condition, failed to find the reward sooner than chance expectatio n with a single landmark, and did only slightly better than chance with two landmarks. In Experiments 5 and 6, the rats were trained in five trials pe r day, with the landmark and goal locations constant over daily rewarded tr ials, and in two extinction trials that were inserted among the rewarded tr ials. The rats found the goal arm at substantially better than chance expec tancy with both one and two landmarks. Our re suits, in agreement with data from recent swimming pool experiments (A. D. L. Roberts & Pearce, 1998), s how that rats will use the relationship between moving landmarks and a goal in order to find reward.