Social effects on rat spatial choice in an open field task

Pairs of rats foraged in trials either together or separately in an open field apparatus for pellets hidden in discreet locations in a 5 × 5 matrix. Trial duration was either 1 or 4 min. The tendency to choose locations that had earlier been visited by another rat was examined by comparing the choices made in the presence and absence of the other rat. Rats avoided visits to locations that had earlier been visited by the other rat, but only if they had also visited the same location earlier in a short duration trial. This pattern of results is consistent with earlier findings from experiments using the radial arm maze. Furthermore, when rats did visit locations that had earlier been visited by the other rat in a long duration trial, they tended to be locations that had been visited longer ago by the other rat than would be expected. This suggests a forgetting function for social memories. These data provide evidence that the social memory reported in earlier studies using the radial-arm maze can be found in other experimental paradigms and that at least some of its properties are common in the two paradigms.

▶ We examine social effects on spatial choice and spatial memory in rats. ▶ Locations chosen by a foraging partner are depleted of food and therefore should be avoided. ▶ We show that locations chosen by another rat are avoided, at least under some conditions. ▶ Locations chosen by another rat are chosen only later in a focal rat's choice sequence. ▶ We conclude that social memory influences spatial choice in rats, although to a limited extent.