Rat Behavior in Go/No-Go and Two-Alternative Choice Odor Discrimination: Differences and Similarities
Rat Behavior in Go/No-Go and Two-Alternative Choice Odor Discrimination: Differences and Similarities
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DOI：
10.1037/a0024371
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发表时间：
2011-08-01
影响因子：
1.9
通讯作者：
Kay, Leslie M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Frederick, Donald E.;Rojas-Libano, Daniel;Kay, Leslie M.
为了阐明动物的认知结构，神经科学家使用了几种行为任务。因此，有必要有一个坚定的理解每个任务的行为参数，以解析出可能的任务效果。我们比较了两个操作性的歧视任务（去/不去：GNG;两种选择：TAC），这是常用的嗅觉研究。过去的研究表明，解决这两个任务需要不同的认知策略。一种假设是，这两种任务的不同之处在于动物如何通过速度-准确性权衡（SAT）来优化奖励率。如果这是真的，那么改变任务可以为研究人员提供了解动物认知的额外工具。然而，没有研究系统地分析了这两个任务并行使用气味刺激。使用标准化的训练协议，我们并行测试GNG和TAC。我们的协议允许我们隔离的刺激采样周期从一般的反应时间段。我们发现，这两个任务没有不同的刺激采样周期方面，并得出结论，这两个任务没有不同的动物执行歧视所需的时间量。相反，任务在做出明显行为反应所需的时间上有所不同，GNG显示的时间比TAC短。我们也没有发现任何证据表明，大鼠使用任务特定的或试验间隔依赖的SAT图式，以优化奖励率。我们表明，因变量之间的相似性（反应延迟可能除外）似乎受到实验者的控制。
To elucidate the cognitive structures of animals, neuroscientists use several behavioral tasks. Therefore, it is imperative to have a firm understanding of each task's behavioral parameters in order to parse out possible task effects. We compare two operant discrimination tasks (Go/No-Go: GNG; Two-Alternative Choice: TAC) that are commonly used in olfactory research. Past research has suggested that solving the two tasks requires divergent cognitive strategies. One hypothesis is that the two tasks differ in how an animal optimizes reward rate by means of a speed-accuracy trade-off (SAT). If this is true, then changing tasks could give researchers an additional tool to understand animal cognition. However, no study has systematically analyzed the two tasks in parallel using odor stimuli. Using standardized training protocols, we test GNG and TAC in parallel. Our protocols allow us to isolate the stimulus sampling period from a general reaction time period. We find that the two tasks do not differ with regard to the stimulus sampling period and conclude that the two tasks do not differ in the amount of time it takes an animal to perform a discrimination. Instead, tasks differ in the time it takes to make an overt behavioral response, with GNG showing shorter periods than TAC. We also find no evidence of rats using either task-specific or intertrial interval-dependent SAT schema in order to optimize reward rate. We show that similarities between dependent variables, with the possible exception of response delay, appear to be under experimenter control.