Time-place learning

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This research program investigates the role of spatial and temporal information in the organization of animal memory, using a paradigm known as time-place learning (TPL). In TPL the availability of food varies depending on the time (e.g., the time in minutes since the study session began or the time of day) and the place (e.g., location on a radial arm maze). There has been some debate about how animals store this information in memory. Gallistel (1990) proposes that animals encode this information into a tripartite code that contains the time, place and event. I have proposed an alternative hypothesis that says that animals encode the information into two bipartite codes - one containing time and event and the other place and event. The primary goal of my proposed program of research is to determine whether the bipartite or tripartite hypothesis is more likely to reflect how rats encode the spatiotemporal information. I will then confirm that the findings of that research is also applicable to other animals in TPL tasks. The ultimate goal is to determine if bipartite (or tripartite) encoding of spatiotemporal information can be used to explain memory outside the realm of TPL. It has been suggested that animals may encode all biologically important information in terms of their spatial and temporal characteristics (Gallistel, 1990). Recently Brown and McCormack (2006) published a chapter suggesting that human memory may be organized temporally (and possibly spatially), suggesting a natural fit with the proposed research.