RATE OF LEARNING IN THE WHITE RAT 



43 



100 



Trial* 



200 



300 



.400 



500 



FIG. 10 



Curve 15 in Fig. 10 represents the rate of learning in the last 500 trials 

 for groups of animals trained in our maze : Curve 16, the rate for those 

 trained in the Freeman maze. 



mits a comparison of the rate of learning at the exact time learn- 

 ing was in progress in the individual cases. This is not possible 

 in either group if the curve is plotted on the basis of trials made 

 from the beginning of the problem, for some completed the 

 training before others showed signs of improvement. In each 

 group there is a period of no apparent learning followed by a 

 short period of rapid learning. 



The large number of animals in each of these groups and the 

 almost uniform difference between the number of trials required 

 to master the problem are conclusive evidence that the negative 

 response to pain can be more easily learned in a simple maze 

 than in a more complex one, and that the rate of learning is 

 approximately the same from the time obvious learning first ap- 

 pears until the problem is mastered. 



