Variability of food motivation effects on the strategies developed by rats in the radial maze

Previous research had shown that the level of food deprivation determines the type of strategy used by rats in the radial arm maze. Highly motivated rats use strategies based on proprioceptive cues while the less motivated animals use strategies based on visual–distal cues. The purpose of the present study was to replicate these findings to further explore these strategies. However, negative results were obtained in two experiments. In experiment 1, twenty four albino rats were divided in two groups with different levels of food deprivation: animals in group G75 (n=12) were food– deprived until they reached 75% of their initial weight, and animals in group G85 until they reached 85% of its normal weight. In experiment 2, 9 albino rats were divided into two groups to reach similar weight differences with a different feeding procedure: GB received 10 grams per day and GA 20 daily grams. No differences in strategies were observed under either condition. These results question the generality of the relation previously encountered between food deprivation level and the use of different strategies to solve the radial maze task. Results are discussed in terms of the specific conditions that would lead to the use of simpler strategies –based in proprioceptive cues– to obtain food in the radial arm maze.