The effect of response deadlines on the performance of sequential lever-pressing task in rats (Rattus norvegicus)

Abstract

We investigated the effects of deadlines on rats' (Rattus norvegicus) performance of learned actions. Rats were trained to alternately press two levers four times when they were presented with a light or tone, which signaled two different conditions. We measured the length of time each rat needed to complete the task in the baseline phase. In the LIMITED condition, we used the longest time as the deadline for all rats. In the FREE condition, the deadlines were virtually unrestrictive. We found that in the LIMITED condition rats made more errors than in the FREE condition. These errors were not rats repeatedly pressing one lever, but were incomplete responses in the correct order. Although the response time in the correct trials in either condition did not differed significantly, this change in performance was partially in line with the previous studies of humans. Therefore, we propose this experimental protocol is useful for measuring the decrement of the performance accuracy under the deadline.