caa a22 4500 605541574 CHVBK 20210128100917.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150101xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10071-014-0784-6 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10071-014-0784-6 Reward expectation modulates variability in path choice in rats [Elektronische Daten] [Kelly Griffith, Emily Farnsworth, W. Stahlman] The relationship between behavioral variability and reward expectation has been examined in recent years. This relationship is predictive: when an animal has a low expectation of reinforcement for a particular behavioral set, they engage in high levels of variability in their actions. We conducted two experiments to further investigate this relationship using a novel measure of behavioral variability. In Experiment 1, two groups of rats were trained to travel through a column maze, with many possible reinforced pathways, to receive either their maintenance diet (i.e., chow) or a highly palatable sugary reward (cereal). We hypothesized that animals trained with a maintenance-diet food source (chow) would demonstrate more variation in the pathways taken to the goal location than those animals trained with the highly palatable alternative. In Experiment 2, all rats were trained to travel through the maze to receive alternating outcomes of chow or cereal in a within-subjects design. Results from both experiments indicated that rats emitted greater variability in paths taken to the goal when the reinforcer was the maintenance chow. These results corroborate the relationship between reward and behavioral variability in a new behavioral measure. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2014 Behavioral variability nationallicence Expectation nationallicence Navigation nationallicence Reinforcement nationallicence Griffith Kelly Department of Psychology, University of Mary Washington (UMW), 1301 College Ave, 22401, Fredericksburg, VA, USA aut Farnsworth Emily Department of Psychology, University of Mary Washington (UMW), 1301 College Ave, 22401, Fredericksburg, VA, USA aut Stahlman W. Department of Psychology, University of Mary Washington (UMW), 1301 College Ave, 22401, Fredericksburg, VA, USA aut Animal Cognition Springer Berlin Heidelberg 18/1(2015-01-01), 131-138 1435-9448 18:1<131 2015 18 10071 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-014-0784-6 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-014-0784-6 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Griffith Kelly Department of Psychology, University of Mary Washington (UMW), 1301 College Ave, 22401, Fredericksburg, VA, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Farnsworth Emily Department of Psychology, University of Mary Washington (UMW), 1301 College Ave, 22401, Fredericksburg, VA, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Stahlman W. Department of Psychology, University of Mary Washington (UMW), 1301 College Ave, 22401, Fredericksburg, VA, USA aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Animal Cognition Springer Berlin Heidelberg 18/1(2015-01-01), 131-138 1435-9448 18:1<131 2015 18 10071