The Effects of Environmental Control on Cognition in Rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to allow nonhuman animals to control their environment using operant conditioning procedures and to assess the effect of control on cognitive tasks. The study tested 4 predictions: (a) rats (Rattus norvegicus) will control a light stimulus; (b) animals will exhibit preferences for particular stimulus strengths; (c) animals who exert control over environmental stimuli will show improved performance on cognitive tasks compared with animals who lack control; and (d) at the end of the operant phase, experimental subjects will have lower corticosterone levels than animals who lack control. Experimental subjects did show control over a light stimulus and performed significantly better over time in a discrimination task compared with subjects who could not control their environment. There was no difference in corticosterone levels between control and experimental subjects. The results will both contribute to our understanding of how control of environmental stimuli affects the welfare of animals in captive environments and aid in designing experimental conditions that will increase validity and reliability in research.