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Emergence of spontaneous alternation in the kitten
Author(s) -
Frederickson Christopher J.,
Frederickson M. H.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.420120610
Subject(s) - kitten , alternation (linguistics) , spontaneous alternation , psychology , developmental psychology , hippocampus , hippocampal formation , neuroscience , medicine , philosophy , cats , linguistics
Two studies are reported that describe the development of spontaneous alternation in the kitten. The first indicates that 3‐ and 4‐week‐old kittens do not alternate whereas animals 5 weeks and older do alternate. The second suggests that inability to discriminate maze arms is an unlikely explanation for the lack of alternation among the youngest animals. The approximate simultaneity between the onset of alternation (described here) and the maturation of the kitten hippocampus (described by others) is taken as support for the notion that hippocampal maturation may be related to the development of spontaneous alternation.