DrZimmerman Is Interested in the Potential Contribution of Long-Term Potentiation

question 155

Multiple Choice

Dr.Zimmerman is interested in the potential contribution of long-term potentiation to learning and memory.He administers one group of rats a drug that blocks long-term potentiation.Another group of rats receives an injection of an inert substance,such as sugar water.Next,he examines the rats' maze-running performance.Dr.Zimmerman measures two dependent variables: trials-to-criterion (the number of trials the rats require before they can run the maze without making any wrong turns) and savings-on-relearning (the reduction in trials-to-criterion when the rats' performance is examined several days later,after having had a break from the maze) .Dr.Zimmerman finds that trials-to-criterion is higher among the rats given the drug than among the rats given the inert substance.Savings-on-relearning,though,is the same in the two groups of rats.How might Dr.Zimmerman interpret these results? Based on your text's discussion,is this result consistent or inconsistent with existing research on long-term potentiation?

• A) The results suggest that long-term potentiation aids learning, but not memory. This is inconsistent with the body of research on long-term potentiation.
• B) The results suggest that long-term potentiation aids memory, but not learning. This is inconsistent with the body of research on long-term potentiation.
• C) The results suggest that long-term potentiation aids learning, but not memory. This is consistent with the body of research on long-term potentiation.
• D) The results suggest that long-term potentiation aids memory, but not learning. This is consistent with the body of research on long-term potentiation.

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Definitions:

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402A

A section of the Restatement (Second) of Torts that outlines the principle of strict liability for harm caused by defective products.