Potentiation, overshadowing, and blocking of spatial learning based on the shape of the environment

Abstract

Rats were trained in Experiment 1 to find a submerged platform in 1 corner of either a rectangular or a kite-shaped pool. When the walls creating this corner were a different color than the opposite walls, then learning about the shape of the pool was potentiated in the kite but not in the rectangle. Experiments 2-4 revealed that learning about the rectangle can be overshadowed and blocked when information about the wall color indicates the location of the platform. The results mimic findings that have been obtained with Pavlovian conditioning, and they challenge the claim that learning about the shape of the environment takes places in a dedicated geometric module.