TRANSFER OF RESPONSE IN THE WHITE RAT 23 



more or less regularity until the animal had made a choice. 

 When the choice had been made, whether right or wrong, 

 the stimulus ceased to be given. When the choice was 

 wrong and the animal had returned to the main portion of 

 the box (B in figure I) the stimulus was again given until 

 correct choice was made. However, the animals in groups 

 III, IV, and V, where no punishment for wrong choice was, 

 given, soon learned to work so rapidly that one scarcely had 

 time to give any stimulus, after the animal had been put 

 info the entrance alley (EA in figure I), before a choice had 

 been made. The animal would dash into one or the other 

 of the return alleys (X or X' in figure I) and, after glancing 

 about the turn at the head of the return alley, dash toward 

 the door into the food box if the choice happened to be 

 correct, or if wrong, whirl quickly and dash into the other 

 return alley and into the food box. When the reaction 

 became of this type, the stimulus was given from the time 

 the animal entered EA until the correct return alley had 

 been entered. 



With group V, beginning with the 26th series, the sfmulus 

 was given irregularly in place of regularly, that is, the number 

 of times the key was pressed and the sounder 'clicked' 

 varied greatly from one unit of time to another during the 

 time the stimulus was being given. This was done with the 

 idea of attracting the animal's attention. A like change of 

 procedure was made w4th the animals in groups VI and VII 

 where pain was given as punishment for wrong choice. 



Another change of procedure introduced was punishment 

 for wrong choice. The punishment given was an electric 

 shock. The return alleys (RA and R'A') beginning at X 

 and X', had small copper plates placed in them and these 

 plates were attached to an induction coil. Two keys were 

 used to connect the circuits, one for RA and one for R'A'. 

 With the introduction of punishment the behavior of the ani- 

 mals was quite different. Considerable hesitation appeared 

 as a rule before choice of return alley was made. This 

 hesitation gave more time to attract the animal's attention 

 by means of the sounder than when the animal rushed pell- 

 mell into one of the return alleys as soon as placed in the 

 entrance alley (EA). 



While some improvement appeared, as will be shown 



