Across the many studies of spontaneous alternation of rats in their choice behavior in successive exposures to a T-maze, there has been little consistency in where the subjects are detained from one trial to the next. The present study showed that alternation is most likely if subjects are retained in the goal box between paired runs, with lesser but significant alternation if detention occurs either in the start box or home cage. No alternation occurs if subjects are detained in an unfamiliar, novel container. The implications of these results for method and theory of spontaneous alternation are discussed.
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