The relationship between age (100 or 300 days) and complexity of avoidance response was investigated in rats. Matched groups within each age-sex sample were tested for avoidance performance in 2-way shuttle, 1-way circular, and 1-way jump-up avoidance tasks. The older (300 days) animals showed higher avoidance response and significantly so in two-way shuttle task. Age differences in the two-way task were significant only in female rats. Age differances in the most complex task (2-way) were interpreted as resulting from the differences in arousal level.
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