Ordinal position learning and remote anticipation

Rats were runway trained on each of two 3-trial series of reward outcomes. The series are labeled XNY and ZNN, for which X represents a trial that was rewarded with Noyes pellets and N represents a trial that ended with no re ward. Units of distinctively flavored breakfast cereals served as reward on trials labeled Y and Z. One group (Floor) had each series occur with a cor related runway floor, either smooth and black or rough and white. For a sec ond group (Memory), the floor cue was uncorrelated with series. Animals in both groups learned to approach the goal rapidly on the ist trials of the 2 series and slowly on the 2nd trials, but only Group Floor learned to diffe rentiate the 3rd trials of the series. These results recommend a view of se rial learning that emphasizes the role played by information about the ordi nal position of series items.