Acquisition of Social Facilitation in Rats: A Methodological Study

Abstract

A methodology was suggested to assess the effects of discrimination training on social facilitation of bar-pressing in rats. Ss were initially trained to bar-press for food and then given one of three kinds of discrimination training, S⁺, S°, and S⁻, in a runway task (different apparatus). A stimulus rat was discriminative for food reward or nonreward for running down an alley in the S⁺ and S⁻ groups, respectively; for the S° group, a stimulus rat was randomly associated with reward and nonreward. After discrimination training, Ss were again given an opportunity to bar-press in the original apparatus under an extinction procedure and were tested in the presence and absence of a stimulus rat. Ss in the S° group responded 50% less in the presence of a stimulus rat, suggesting an initial tendency for social impairment rather than facilitation in the presence of another rat. Ss in the S⁺ group showed less social impairment than those in the S° group, with the S⁻ group tending to respond more in the presence than absence of a stimulus rat, i.e., social facilitation.