Size of the Environment as a Determiner of Effects of Scopolamine

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Abstract
64 rats were injected with either saline or 0.25 mg/kg scopolamine and tested in one of four different-sized open fields. There was a positive correlation between increasing field size and increased ambulation in undrugged animals. Scopolamine increased ambulation in rats in the 2 smaller fields but not in the larger 2 fields; and it did not attenuate the rate of habituation. Rearing and grooming were not affected so much by field size, but grooming was increased by scopolamine. The results can be interpreted in terms of base rate/response competition hypotheses.