Some experimental tests of "reasoning" in white rats.

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Abstract
From exps. in which white rats appeared to combine separately learned habit segments in solving problems, Maier (Comp. Psychol. Monog., 1929, 6, 1-93) has concluded that the rat has the ability to reason. Exps. were performed by the present investigators in which problem solution could be effected only by the combination of 2 isolated behavior segments per se. In the 3 situations tried the animals failed to give better than chance per-formances. Maier''s exp. was repeated and it was found that the animals duplicated the performances made by his rats, but analysis of the results showed that the solutions were achieved in a manner consistent with ordinary learning principles. It is concluded that the invocation of reasoning to account for such behavior is unjustified.

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