Abstract

In this experiment, mice were conditioned to complete a maze by using a reward system. Upon completion, they were given access to a playground area in which they were allowed to spend a certain amount of time. Throughout the experiment, the maze entrance and playground entrance were each associated with a certain object. The mice were then placed in an intermediate area in which both of the associated objects were placed near entrances located at different ends. The time spent near each entrance was recorded and the expected result was that the mice would spend more time near the entrance associated with the reward. This tested whether the mice complete the maze because of the associated reward or because they were conditioned to run the maze. The results showed an increased amount of time spent towards the entrance associated with the reward.