Data from: Learning of efficient behaviour in spatial exploration through observation of behaviour of conspecific in laboratory rats

Recent studies have suggested that rodent behaviour is influenced by the behaviour of surrounding conspecifics (e.g. emotional contagion and prosocial behaviour). However, little is known about deferred imitation and complex observational learning in rats. The purpose of this study was to reveal whether rats can learn from another rat's experiences. In a maze, observer rats watched the foraging behaviour of other rats (demonstrators) and then foraged in turn. The results showed that demonstrators explored inefficiently, but observers explored more efficiently after observing inefficient exploration by the demonstrators. This observational learning probably involved the acquisition of an efficient strategy through spatial exploration.近期已有研究表明，啮齿动物（rodent）的行为会受到周遭同种个体（conspecifics）行为的影响，例如情绪传染（emotional contagion）与亲社会行为（prosocial behaviour）。然而，目前学界对大鼠的延迟模仿（deferred imitation）及复杂观察学习（complex observational learning）仍知之甚少。本研究旨在探究大鼠是否能够从其他个体的经验中进行学习。实验中，观察者鼠先在迷宫中观察示范鼠（demonstrators）的觅食行为，随后依次开展觅食探索。结果显示，示范鼠的探索行为效率偏低，但观察者鼠在观察到示范鼠的低效探索后，自身的探索效率得到了显著提升。此种观察学习或为通过空间探索习得高效觅食策略的过程。