A STUDY OF THE BEHAVIOR OF THE WHITE RAT BY 

 THE MULTIPLE CHOICE METHOD 



HAROLD E. BURTT 



From the Psychological Laboratory of Harvard University 



INTRODUCTION 



The multiple choice method of studying ideational and allied 

 forms of behavior has already been described in connection with 

 reports of results. 1 It consists essentially in presenting to a 

 subject of any type, age, or condition a problem "which may be 

 solved by the perception of a certain constant relation or group 

 of relations within the reaction-mechanisms." For instance the 

 subject may be required to operate the right-hand mechanism 

 or the second from the left in a group of mechanisms varying 

 in number from two to nine. 



In this way the same problem can be presented to widely 

 varied organisms, it being necessary merely to adapt the form 

 of reaction mechanism to the species of animal. For human 

 subjects a simple keyboard suffices, — the sounding of a buzzer 

 as indication of a correct choice proving ample incentive to 

 effort. With crows, pigs, ring-doves, rats and monkeys a series 

 of similar boxes, each with an entrance and an exit door, has been 

 employed, with confinement as punishment for incorrect choices 

 and food as reward for correct choices. The value of this method 

 from the comparative standpoint is obvious. 



SUBJECTS 



Three outbred and two inbred albino rats were used in the 

 experiments. All were born in the Harvard Psychological Lab- 



1 Yerkes, Robert M. The study of human behavior. Science, 1914, 39, 625- 

 633. 



Coburn, Charles A. and Yerkes, Robert M. A study of the behavior of the 

 crow, Corvus Americanos Aud., by the multiple-choice method. Journal of Animal 

 Behavior, 1915, 5, 75-114. 



Yerkes, Robert M. and Coburn, Charles A.. A study of the behavior of the 

 pig, Sus scrofa, by the multiple-choice method. Journal of Animal Behavior,' 

 1915, 5, 185-225. 



Yerkes, Robert M. The mental life of monkeys and apes: a study of idea- 

 tional behavior. Behavior Monographs, 1916. 3, whole number 12. 



222 



