An Examination of the Impact of Enrichment on Learning a Novel Task

Research demonstrates the importance of enrichment in learning a new task. The effect of enrichment type has not been as thoroughly examined. The purpose of the current study was to observe behavioral and statistical differences between enrichment types. Specifically, rats were trained to perform an operant learning task after experiencing one of three treatments: environmental enrichment, social enrichment, and control. Findings demonstrate variability in performance in learning the bar press response. Behavioral observations were notated along each step of the learning process, displaying differences not shown in numerical data. Taken together, these data revealed that enrichment had an impact on rates of and resistance to extinction