Siegfreid and Roy: Extreme!

Purpose: This experiment was done with the intent of seeing how the variables of light, shock plate presence, and type of stimulus interacted to affect a rat's ability to solve a maze.

To conduct this experiment, a maze was built which enabled the experimentors to test the rats with or without shock plates, and in the presence or absence of light. Connected to a universal power source, the shock plates were charged with 125 volts. Once in the maze, the rats were individually timed according to the different D.O.E. factors the exerimentors subjected them to. It was found that the rats performed most effectively in the dark, without shock plates, and having caffeine as their stimulus. These results partly contradicted the experimentor's hypothesis, which stated the rats would perform best with light, with shock plates, and with caffeine. These results seem to imply that rats, being nocturnal animals, perform best in the dark, and that pain, rather than frightening them into submission, retarded their reactionary responses. The experimentors now believe that if the trials were run in a completely dark maze, without shock plates, and a stronger source of caffeine was used, then the fastest maze time can be achieved.

Research Done By:

David Meng
Sterling Hts. High School

Quy Thai
Sterling Heights High School

X