Amazing mice

This topic submitted by Elizabeth Miller, Amanda Gibson, and Rachel DeHart (elizdiz@aol.com) at 9:17 pm on 11/12/01. Additions were last made on Wednesday, November 13, 2002. Section: Dorsey

Lab Packet for the a(MAZE)ing Mice
Rachel Dehart
Amanda Gibson
Liz Miller

Introduction:

For our student generated lab, our group has decided to use mice, to try to teach them to run two different mazes by using two different stimuli, consisting of sound and shape. Through the lab we want to prove that by using classical conditioning, we can "teach" the mice to complete two different cardboard mazes. We are going to teach them with one maze using classical conditioning, then we are going to use the independent stimuli, the shapes and sounds, to teach them a different maze. We hope to figure out which stimuli the mice are more receptive to sound or shapes. We also have a control mouse that we will use to see if it can teach itself the two different mazes without classical conditioning or additional stimuli. We find this research interesting because of our interest in animals and the way in which they learn. We began this project with the desire to study the learning process. Children learn through repetition, songs, and many other basic forms of memorization. We broke down these large ideas into the basic form of memorization of a shape and the memorization of a sound. We would like to see if simplifying these larger plans used mainly in teaching could be dissected taught to mice. Our desired outcome is to prove that the teachings of memorization is an effective way of learning; this will be proven when the mice using the learning stimulus will complete the second maze with ease due to the assistance of the stimuli.

Relevance:
There has been many studies done on mice and mazes, but we didn't find any studies on how if different stimuli can actually teach a mouse to run a maze. Research done by Tolman though is near what we are studying. In his experiment, rats were allowed to explore a maze, which had multiple paths of different distanced to the same destination. After the rats were familiar, Tolman began to block off sections of the lab, and then observing the rats behavior. He was thrilled to see that the rats did not retrace their steps, instead remembered the maze and chose to go a different root to get to the end. This showed that the rats were learning and not just repeating pre-performed steps. Most studies had to do with teaching mice to run mazes through classical and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is a learning process first described by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist. He discovered it accidentally through an experiment on digestion. Making conclusions by observing that salivation would begin before the food was eaten. Thus the dog would predict that he would eat, and when the bell sounded, he would no that it was time to start salivating. This is similar to our idea of using sound to teach one of our mice. The idea that when a bell rings you turn right and when there is a clap you proceed left. These games or variations are occasionally played with children in order to learn directions. Operant conditioning is corresponds to Thorndike's research. Thorndikes experimented with cats and dogs; specifically their behavior when attempting to free themselves from uncomfortable situations. Thorndike measured their intelligence by placing the animals in a box multiple times and recording their escape strategies. Through repetition the animals began to escape quicker, using the strategy which freed them previously. Thorndike states, "When an animal finds itself in the same position again it is more likely to perform the same action againÉReward acts to strengthen stimulus-response associations." Thorndike also developed a law of effect which states, "Of several responses made to the same situation those which are accompanied or closely followed by satisfaction to the animal will, other things being equal, be more firmly connected with the situation, so that, when it recurs, they will be more likely to recur; those which are accompanied or closely followed by discomfort to the animal will, other things being equal, have their connections to the situation weakened, so that, when it recurs, they will be less likely to occur. The greater the satisfaction or discomfort, the greater the strengthening or weakening of the bond." In classical conditioning a neutral stimulus relates directly with a reflex. When trial and error with a reward is involved, (like our lab), no reflex is involved. It theorizes that we learn at an early age how to "operate" in our environment to get rewards and how to avoid punishment or negative consequences. Reinforcements are rewards that increase the likelihood that we will repeat the behavior, these include; primary reinforcers, secondary reinforcers, positive reinforcers, negative reinforcers, and finally punishment.
In addition, we have learned that when there is a lack of protein within a mouse colony the colony will elect a member to be eaten. This will then prolong the life of the colony. From now on we are being careful to make sure our mice are getting enough protein to ensure their health and our experiment.
This research offers us a place to start more than anything else. It identifies the running of a maze is not a repetition of systematic procedures but a learning process. For humans, highway signs and signals in the form of sound, help us to carryout our days getting us to our desired destinations. In a broad sense our research may help the training of animals and give insight on how young developing children learn. Overall our research deals with the learning process, specifically what works and what does not.

Materials and Methods:
(Due to the fact that the other three white mice killed our brown mouse, we were forced to get rid of the color stimulus in order to keep a control mouse, this turned out to be ok because mice are color blind.)
The intention of our experiment is twofold. We want to know whether mice are capable of responding to, and remembering the stimuli of shape and sound. We also want to discover which of the stimuli is most effective. By utilizing the components of classical conditioning, we hope to discover the capabilities of mice's memory and reasoning.
To execute the experiment, we have purchased three female mice. We will build two separate cardboard mazes in which we will place the mice. They will be placed in the first maze five times a week for three weeks. This maze will contain the three stimuli of shape and sound to encourage the mice to move in the correct directions that will lead them to the end of the maze. The stimuli will be reinforced with slices of cheese that will be placed out of sight from the mice (around a corner of the maze). The stimuli will be presented to the mice at places in the mazes where two directional options exist. The shapes and sounds that are presented will signify which direction is correct and which direction is wrong. For shapes, a white triangle will signify the going to the right to
and a white square will signify going left. For sound we will clap for a left turn and ring a bell for a right turn. The effectiveness of the stimuli can be determined by recording how many times the mice choose the correct direction. The cheese will reinforce the correct stimuli. We hypothesize that of the three stimuli, color will be the most effective. One of the mice will be used as a control, and will not be exposed to either the cheese or the stimuli. We will record the time it takes for each mouse to complete her journey through the maze. On the fourth week of the experiment, we will place the mice in a second, different maze. For five consecutive days we will time the mice as they go through the maze. This last week will test whether the mice can respond to the stimuli to determine which direction to turn to complete the maze. Again the control mouse will not use any stimuli in running the maze. Through this process we will determine if the mice can actually remember shapes and sounds, and also which stimuli is the strongest. We hypothesize that the mice exposed to the stimuli and the cheese in the first three weeks of the experiment will complete the second maze more quickly than the control mouse that was not exposed to the stimuli.
We will have class help us collect data by helping us run the mice through the mazes and to help us chart the progress of each mouse and its stimuli. Included at the back of our proposal you will our data-collecting sheet for the times it takes for the mouse to complete the maze. The class will aid us in taking data in a different but helpful way. Each group will be given one mouse and one maze, which consists of one turn, and one holding area. The group will record the actions of the mouse and its response to the stimulus; this data will include amount of time to complete and also specific mice actions. The mice will every twenty minutes so that each group will record data for each stimulus. The holding area will be used to place the mouse in after each completion of the maze to distinguish the different running of the maze. The mice will be run multiple times in a training like exercise which aides in memorization. (Sample data sheet stapled to back of sheet)

Results:
October 9, 2001
Mouse 1 -Shape (small, squinty eyes)
Stimuli-Triangle-right turn
Square-left turn
Turn 1(right)-went left first
Turn 2 (left)- went right first came back went left, went back to first turn at 2 min
Turn 3 (left)- right then left at 2 min 5 sec then to the end
Important Notes-
Retraced steps only once-ate some cheese
Mouse 2-Sound (Gray spots)
Stimuli-Ding- turn right
Clap-turn left
Turn 1(right) -went left first then, right
Turn 2 (left)-went left after clap missed second
Turn 3 (left)- went right first, then left immediately
Important Notes- Finished in 1 min 13 sec
Didn't east cheese
Mouse 3-Control (large, all white)
Turn 1(right)- went right
Turn 2 (left)- went left, then retraced steps back to turn number 1
Turn 3 (left)- Finally made turn at 3 min 4 sec
Important Notes- finished at 3 min 8 sec, went fast at first, then wanted to explore it.

Trial 2 October 10, 2001
Mouse 1 (shape)
Turn 1 (right)- went left, went right
Turn 2 (left)-went right, then left
Turn 3 (left)- went left, retraced steps
Important Notes- 2 min 26 sec
Mouse 2 (sound)
Turn 1 (right)- went left, then right, retraced steps back to beginning
Turn 2 (left)- went right, then left
Turn 3 (left)- went left immediately
Important Notes- 2 min 1 sec
Mouse 3 (control)
Turn 1 (right)-went right
Turn 2 (left)- went left immediately, went back to turn
Turn 3 (left)- right first, then retraced steps.
Important Notes- 2 min 5 sec

Trial 3 October 11, 2001
Mouse 1 (shape)
Turn 1 (right)-Went left, back to start, then right
Turn 2 (left)- Went right first, left coming back immediately
Turn 3 (left)- left immediately, not into the little house anymore
Important Notes- 45sec
Mouse 2 (sound)
Turn 1 (right)-
Turn 2 (left)-
Turn 3 (left)-
Performed all turn accurately, stopped and retraced steps, then came back and redid each step
Important Notes-1 min 22 sec
Mouse 3- (control)
Turn 1 (right)- completed turn, then went to 2, then came back to start
Turn 2 (left)- went right, went back to start, back to turn 2, then right again, came back went left, then back to start.
Turn 3 (left)-
Important Notes- 4 min 27 sec

Trial 4 October 15, 2001
Mouse 1 (shape)
Important Notes-45 sec
Mouse 2 (sound)
Important Notes- 3 min 15 sec
Mouse 3 ( control )
Important Notes- 30 sec

Trial 5 October 16, 2001
Mouse 1 (shape) -
Turn 1 (right)-
Turn 2 (left)-
Turn 3 (left)-
Hid in corner for 2 min
Important Notes- 3 min 40 sec
Mouse 2 (sounds)
Turn 1 (right)-
Turn 2 (left)-
Turn 3 (left)-
Important Notes- 50 sec
Mouse 3 (control)
Turn 1 (right)-
Turn 2 (left)-
Turn 3 (left)-
Ate cheese
Important Notes- 1 min 50 sec

Trial 6 October 17, 2001
Mouse 1 (shape)
Turn 1(right)
Turn 2 (left)
Turn 3 (left)
Hid in corner 30 sec
Important Notes-5 min time limit
Mouse 2 (sounds)
Turn 1(right)-
Turn 2 (left)-
Turn 3 (left)-
Ran around
Important Notes- 5 min time limit
Mouse 3- (control)
Turn 1 (right)-
Turn 2 (left)-
Turn 3 (left)-
Important Notes- 1 min 50 sec

Trial 7 October 18, 2001
Mouse 1 (shapes)
Turn 1(left)
Turn 2 (right)
Turn 3 (right)
Sat at start for a long time
Important Notes- 4 min 51 secs
Mouse 2 (sounds)
Turn 1 (right)
Turn 2 (left)
Turn 3 (left)
Important Notes- 3 min 3 sec
Mouse 3 (control)-
Turn 1 (right)-
Turn 2 (left)-
Turn 3 (left)-
Ran around
Important Notes- 5 min limit

Trail 8 October 22, 2001
Mouse 1 (shapes)
Turn 1- right
Turn 2- left
Turn 3- left
Completion time- 47 sec
Mouse 2 (sound)
Turn 1- left then right
Turn2- left
Turn3- left
Completion time- 1 min 25 sec
Mouse 3 (control)
Turn 1- left then right
Turn 2- right then left
Turn 3- right then left
Completion time- 55 sec

Discussion and Conclusion:

At this point in our research any conclusions that we have made so far have been based on what has already been mentioned in our research section. Most specifically, the idea of learning a maze. From observation we have seen that as the mice learn the maze they retrace their steps less often. This shows that they are becoming familiar with the maze and their stimulus. The class will help us with the training aspect of the lab. The mice have already become familiar with their stimuli and the maze, which they have run eight times now. We mentioned learning through repetition and the idea of memorization. In the class lab, the mice will only have to deal with a single turn, and the class will observe the mice actions, testing it's memorization abilities and also giving the mice a boot-camp like training course to aid in the memorization of their stimulus.

Literature cited:
Anderson. Learning and Memory: An Integrated Approach
Hill, W. (1985). Learning: A survey of psychological interpretations. (4th. Ed.). New York: Harper and Row.

Klein/ Mower. Contemporary Learning Theories

Petty, R., & Cacioppo, J. (1981). Attitudes and persuasion: Classic and Contemporary approaches. Dubuque, IA: William C. Brown

http://www.bugyman.com/slrodents2.htm
http://www.dushkin.com/connectext/psy/ch06/bio6.mhtml
http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/schools/wakefield/animbehv/maze.html

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