When Tolman trained rats to run a maze to obtain a food reward,and then blocked the original path,the rats immediately took the shortest route to the food.Tolman interpreted this finding as an indication that the rats had acquired:
A) neural connections between stimuli in the maze and particular muscle movements.
B) a cognitive map of the location of the food.
C) an excellent sense of smell.
D) learning that was not dependent on a food reward.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Tolman's interpretation of the rats' behavior suggests that they had created a mental representation, or cognitive map, of the maze and the location of the food. This goes beyond simple stimulus-response learning and implies that the rats were using higher-order cognitive processes to navigate the maze after the original path had been blocked.

When Tolman Trained Rats to Run a Maze to Obtain