T he effects of exposure time and retention interval on response to environmental change in rats

Abstract

Responses to change of visual stimuli in the environment were studied under 6 different exposure times and 3 different retention intervals in 18 groups. An increase in exposures from 1 to 3 and 5 min had a positive effect on the response-to-change frequency. The level observed after 5 min exposure did not alter significantly when exposures of 10 min and 15 min were applied, while a further increase in exposure time to 20 min reduced the number of responses to change. Elongation of retention intervals from 1 to 3 and 5 min decreased the response-to-change frequency after each exposure. In the case of optimal exposures (5-15 min) the decrease was from 80 percent to approximately 60 percent.