Suppose a person lesions the hippocampus of a rabbit. The person presents a blue light and a yellow light together for several trials, and then presents just the yellow light followed by a shock until the rabbit is startled by the yellow light alone. How will the lesioned rabbit respond if the person now presents just the blue light?
A) It will startle to the blue light, but not as strongly as it does to the yellow light.
B) It will startle just as strongly to the blue light as it does to the yellow light.
C) It will startle even more strongly to the blue light than it does to the yellow light.
D) It will not startle to the blue light at all.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The hippocampus is crucial for associative learning, including the association between visual cues and outcomes. A lesion in the hippocampus impairs the rabbit's ability to form new associations, meaning it would not learn to associate the blue light with the shock and thus would not startle to the blue light alone.

Suppose a Person Lesions the Hippocampus of a Rabbit