Harvey, Deirdre and Brant, Lesley and Commins, Sean (2009) Differences in cue-dependent spatial navigation may be revealed by in-depth swimming analysis. Behavioural Processes, 82 (2). pp. 190-197. ISSN 0376-6357

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Abstract

Several factors can influence allocentric navigation in the Morris water maze (MWM), including the number of available distal visual cues. Using in-depth analytical measures investigating platform-based and swimming behaviour, we examine and compare animals exposed to either one or three distal visual cues during MWM acquisition. We demonstrate that, although animals exposed to one cue can acquire the task as well as those in a multiple cue condition, several subtle differences between the groups’ swimming behaviours are noted. Both groups actively use cues to guide them to the platform, but changing the number of cues alters the animals’ patterns of behaviour, wherein exposure to a single cue leads to a simpler strategy in which the cue appears to act as a beacon for navigation.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	Allocentric; Spatial navigation; Cues; Water maze;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology
Item ID:	10697
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2009.06.008
Depositing User:	Dr. Sean Commins
Date Deposited:	05 Apr 2019 17:07
Journal or Publication Title:	Behavioural Processes
Publisher:	Elsevier
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	https://www.sciencedirect.com
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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