Abstract
WHEN tested in a T-maze rats tend to alternate their choices spontaneously1; that is, when given two successive trials they tend to choose first one arm then the other, rather than the same arm on both trials. They alternate even when no choice has been made on the first trial; thus, if put directly into the goal box at the end of one arm of a previously explored T-maze, and then given a choice between the two maze arms, they will tend to choose the arm leading to the other goal box2. In general there is a tendency to go to the part of the environment that has been least recently explored.
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STILL, A. Spontaneous Alternation and Exploration in Rats. Nature 210, 657–658 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/210657a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/210657a0
