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Additive pattern of RTs in
rats. Sternberg (1969) introduced the Additive Factor Method as a tool for discovering and studying information processing stages in choice reaction time (RT) situations. This method holds on the assumption that information is processed along distinct successive stages through which it is discontinuously transmitted. Under this assumption, factors known to affect different processing levels in humans must have an additive effect on the mean and variance of the RTs (although a few continuous models can account, under certain conditions, for such patterns). Few attempts have been done to examine whether or not additive RT patterns can be obtained in rats. We placed rats in a two-choice RT situation where the luminance of the response signals and the foreperiod duration (factors known to affect sensory and motor stages, respectively) were varied. These two factors displayed additive effects on both the mean and variance of the RTs. The fact that rats exhibited the same RT pattern as that of humans suggests that, for simple sensorimotor activities, the rat can be considered as providing an acceptable model of information processing in which it is possible to carry out invasive recordings, or lesions in order to precise the functional significance of additive RT patterns. Keywords: additive factors method, rat, reaction time, operant contionning |
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