Animal Behavior Proposal

Introduction+Background

In wild, many animals learn their way around their habitat so they move quickly for

finding the way home during foraging or escaping from predator. Same as your pet like

guinea pig. Therefore, do you ever wonder why your guinea pigs never lose the way to their

food bowl? Not only because of their sense, but also they can remember their way. So, how

long they can remember the way?

A guinea pig has a short-term memory which mean after it remembers something, it

will fade quickly. A GUINEA PIGS SENSE OF TIME, found that the longer the time

between event occurred, the week the memory becomes (n.d). This mean that as guinea pig

run the maze, they could easily forget the way even though they already run the maze.

In order to make them remember the way in the maze, how to change short-term

memory to long-term memory should be known. According to Richard C Mohs Ph.D, the

neuropsychologist, he said that the more the information is repeated or used, the more

possibly the information will turn to long-term memory (n.d). The research question is

supported by this info. This idea can be adapted to guinea pigs.

The only way to ensure that the memory was formed is by recalling it out. Dued to the

fact that animal cannot talk to human, but human can understand their behavior. So, human

can know that they are recalling the memory by observe a behavior that differ from the one

emitted in the training session.

In addition of how animals turn short-term memory to long-term memory, another

thing also needed to know is how the guinea pig learn to remember things so that the

experiment can only emphasize on their aptitude. A guinea pig is a kinesthetic learner which

is type of learning by memorize or understand through actually or physically do it. This

means that the guinea pig would learn better if it actually run the maze multi times.
 The purpose of this experiment is to show the improvement of the guinea pigs

memory through the process of learning and might be useful for someone who interest in

training the guinea pig. Moreover, if our hypothesis is correct, it will prove that the method

can be used in rodent too. In order to make them memorize something, the study and

understanding should include their behavior which will effect on how to teach them such as

finding the positive stimulus for training them.

Hypothesis

- If let a guinea pig repeat running the maze for 25 times, then it could

remember the way.

Literature Review I

According to Ontogeny of Learning and Memory by Spear and Campbell, they

wondered about a certain level of maturity might effect to animal to acquire the basic

response-reinforcement contingencies (1979). For the first step of the experiment, they would

give a set of unavoidable shocks to the different age of rats in one side of a black-white

shutterbox but no shocks in the other side. After that, the rats would be tested again. Then this

would be repeated again with guinea pigs. For the result, it showed that while older animals

replied little loss of fear with longer of storage period, younger rats showed deformed losses

of fear. For guinea pigs, the major portion of central nervous system of it was developed

during gestation in which the rats did not have it. Not just that, most neurological and

behavioral indices of the newborn guinea pig look similar to the older rat. When the guinea

pigs are tested again after many trainings, which had been done with guinea pigs before like

escape or passive-avoidance tasks, young guinea pigs seem to remember as well as adults.

From result, they can concluded that the level of maturity doesnt affect guinea pig to the
acquiree basic response-reinforcement contingencies. Based on this literature, it refers that

the guinea pig either young or adult has long-term memory, so it can be used in any age for

the experiment. This experiment had done this with many animals so this made it looked

believable.

Literature Review II

According to Comparative Cognition by Olmstead and

Kuhlmeier, they created a hypothesis which said that animals will

form a cognitive map of the environment as they travelled to find

their way to their goal. They set up the experiment by using a

maze with three different ways which would bring the rats to food.

During the first training, all of the alleys were opened and rats will

be placed in the maze. Then, for the second training, a barrier

would be placed at A and the rat be placed in the maze again.

Lastly, a barrier would be placed at B and the rat would walk again. The result was that, in

the first training which there was nothing blocked the way, the rats chose alley 1 which was

the most direct way to the food. Then, when block A, a barrier, was placed at A, they chose

alley 2 which was the most direct way to the food for this time. Finally, when a block B was

placed where blocked alley 1 and 2, the rats looked aware that their both ways were blocked

so they chose alley 3 which was the most direct way to the food for this time. In conclusion,

the rat had made a spatial map of how the three alleys connected together so that was why

they could solve the maze by using some hints from the environment which in this case was

the room as landmarks.

Based on this literature, they used a maze to see that would the rat be able to find the food

reward by adding the block each time that they repeated the experiment, therefore, this could
refer that using a maze could show the ability of rat of learning and solving the maze well.

However, they did not show that how long could the memory of the rat last in this

experiment. Also, there were some concerns in it like had they done it to other rats too? And

how could they conclude that the rat used a cognitive map to solve this maze not memory

which it got from repeat walking many times. In this case, it is hard to prove because it is an

invisible thing and depend on the ability of each individual. On the other hand, the procedure

was interesting like it did step by step to see the level of solving ability of the rat.

In contrast, the first experiment had a purpose to see do the age affect ability to

memorize thing by looking at the memory in rodents brain. For the second experiment, they

focus on do the rat use a cognitive map to solve a maze by using their environment as a clue.

Both of them used a rodent in their experiment to see its ability of brian.

5C

- Cite: Focus on ability of learning and memory.

- Compare: Both literatures give information that can infer that rodent, like rats

and guinea pig, has ability to learn and remember things by redoing them in many

time.
- Contrast: Ontogeny of Learning and Memory rodents will

remember things that they had before.

Comparative Cognition rodents do not remember things but

they create cognitive map by using the cues that are around them.

- Critique: Even though Ontogeny of Learning and Memory had some error

while doing the experiment with rats, but there were many experiments which had

been done later so it is more persuasive than Comparative Cognition, which did the

experiment only one time with one animal (according to the original text).
- Connect: Our experiment will see that do guinea pigs have long-term memory.

Knowledge Gap
In these experiments, they did not answer

- How to change short-term memory to long-term memory?

- How long can the guinea keep their memory?

Research Question

- Can repetition change short-term memory to long-term memory in a guinea

pig?

Overview of Experiment Details

The maze was used in many experiment to study about spatial learning and memory in

rodents or even humans. Nowaday, it is used mostly with the rodents to determine that do

conditions or treatments affect memory and learning in them. The maze also have their own

evolution which applied for the rat such as T-maze to radial arm to water maze. Additional,

human mostly used the rat to run the maze because due to their evolution history.

Materials

1. 2 female guinea pigs

2. Fresh Vegetables
a. Red Bell peppers
3. Guinea pigs food
4. Cages
a. Guinea pigs toys
b. Solid floor
c. Hiding place
5. Bedding
a. Aspen shavings
6. Water bottle
7. Fresh water
8. Food dishes
9. Bowls
10. Small tower
11. Knife
12. Chopping board
13. Timer
14. PVC sheet (4 millilitres thick)
 15. Plastic welding
16. Measuring tape
17. Saw
18. Paper
19. Pencil

Methodology

Building maze
1. Preparing all materials
2. Measuring PVC sheets by using measuring tape.
3. Use saw to cut PVC sheets.
4. Use 1200 x 1200 mm as a centre of the maze, and other PVC

sheets following the maze design plan.

5. Place PVC sheet that measured as a wall perpendicular to the

base PVC sheet to create a maze.

6. Connect each PVC sheet by using plastic welding.
7. The end of the arm number 2 and the connection of centre and

the platform can be detachable.

8. Check all corner to ensure that every corner is blunt.
9. Check the detachable door so that it can be used efficiently.

Prepare the guinea pigs

1. Prepare their bedding which provided them water, food, toys

and hiding place.

Food and clean drinking water must be

available.
Cleanliness is the most important thing.

2. Cage must be on the ground.

3. Since guinea pig is a social animal, putting them together in the cage will make

them happy which led to good mental health.

4. Food Restriction and habituatation :

 In order to drive guinea pigs performance in

experimenting, food of the meal before testing must be reduced to 85%

of their diet.
Introduce red bell pepper slowly and in small

amount to their diet 2 days in limited amount

To make them familiar with the

reward(baits) and dont got gastric upset.

During this 2 days, let them

freely explore the maze with no food available for 5 - 10

minutes each day.

On training day
1. Trial will be held on the following day
2. Cleaning the maze.
3. Wash red bell pepper with fresh water to get rid of pesticide

and other contaminate chemicals.

4. Dry red pepper on a small towel.
5. Cut bell pepper into small pieces
6. Place bell peppers in 4 bowls in the same amount.
7. Put the bowls contained with bell pepper in arm number 1, 3, 5

and 7 of maze.
8. Put the bowls that did not contain bell pepper in the remaining

arm of the maze.

9. First, let guinea pig enter the centre of the maze through the

arm and block the entrance.

10. Let the guinea pig run to the arm of the maze.
11. Block the arm that guinea pig had entered so that its not

reenter to the same arm.

12. During the experiment, record the data
The amount of time uses for guinea pig to

collect all the baits for being a control variable to compare the data

with other trials. If the time that guinea pig run the maze to collect all

the baits is faster in each trial then, the repetition can make guinea pig

recall the map of the maze. In other words, the repetition can turn to be

a long-term memory.
 The number of guinea pig enter the arm that

didnt contain baits which count as an error. The less the guinea pig

enter the unbaited arm with less time means it can remember the way

in the maze after doing it many times.

13. After guinea pig collect all baits, put them back into the cage.

14. Let them rest for 5 minutes.

15. Repeat the trial for 5 times each day to make sure that the repetition.

16. Repeat step 6 - 15 for 5 days. The more the guinea pig run the maze(the more

the repetition of running in the maze), the more it will remember the direction where

the food is.

Until guinea pig learn to ignore the remaining

six arms, which never contain food.

17. The control variables

The amount of time on the trial

Another guinea pig that trained only one day

before the experiment which the baits arent place in any of the arm.
The amount of food restriction
The amount of bell pepper in bowls; each bowls

must contain bell pepper in the same amount.

The time given food each day
On the last day of training after letting the guinea pig that was trained run the

maze, let the another guinea pig(the control) run in the maze with baits were placed

in the same position(arm number 1, 3, 5,7). Training it the same as another guinea pig

that was trained except the training process of the control guinea pig is having only

one times to run in the maze before the actual experiment which no baits were placed

in the maze to test that if it run in the maze only one times,
On experimenting day
1. Prepare both guinea pigs; the one with training and the one

without training.
 2. Place the bowl into each arm without containing any baits to

test whether it can remember to way or not.

3. Repeat the same procedure as the trial day but dont block the

arm after guinea pig had enter.

a. If the guinea pig that had been trained 5 times

for 5 days can run the maze with without entering the arm that had

never been baited, hence the repetition can change make guinea pig

change the short term memory into long term memory.

b. Also, doing the same procedure with the control

guinea pig which to test that if it was trained only one day, can it

remember the way to get to food without any baits.

4. Record the data

Maze design and Justification

Materials for building maze :

4 millilitres thick PVC sheet
Plastic welding
Measuring tape
Saw
Maze design
 There are many types of maze that had been developed throughout the time.

Eight arm radial maze is one of those mazes which many of scientists use it to experiment

rodents species memory. This maze structural consists of eight arm spread out from the centre

platform. Normally, the original design of this kind of maze will elevate or lift up of the floor

to prevent the experimenting animal to see the food which was placed at the end of the arm.

In another meaning, to hide food from animal sight (Tarragon et al., 2012). To improve, this

maze design is being placed on the floor, food will be place in the bowl at the end of the arm,

and also have doors that can be detachable. The doors present at the end of the arm number 2

for the entrance and at the all the starting of the arm which block the arm from the centre

platform. The reason for choosing this kind of maze is that it is not as simple as the T-maze

and the Y-maze that have only two choices to choose from. Also, it does not as complicated

as the multiple T-maze. Moreover, using eight arm radial maze doesnt have to use water like

the Morris water maze which are inconvenient since water need to be used in the maze which

take lots of time. In addition, this maze provides many direction for guinea pigs to choose

from, which challenging them. Reference from T, Radial Arm, and Barnes Mazes

journal(2013), the Radial-arm maze paradigm can be altered in size, method, and shape for

suitability of different species. In addition, long term memory or called reference memory can

be experimented using this maze. Meanwhile it was similar to another experiment from

Behavioral Methods to Study Learning and Memory in Rats which stated that the Eight-Arm

Radial Maze has an advantage for testing different memory types included reference

memory(Quillfeldt, 2006). This provided us evidences for choosing this design of maze for

our experiment which fit the purpose and what we anticipating to test.

Adjusting in size, shape and method is easily for this maze which benefit for our experiment.

According to Dr. Karen Becker (2012), a veterinarian, guinea pig is the same as other

rodents species that like to gnaw, they gnaw on everything they found. Concerning on
material is necessary since guinea pig may have health effect on biting on those material.

According to Environmental Enrichment for Guinea Pigs: A Discussion by the Laboratory

Animal Refinement & Enrichment Forum , evidence of animals gnawing on PVC pipes have

not be found (n.d.). The durability of the maze is also one of the most important things to

consider for the material. PVC sheet is a good choice for building maze since guinea pigs are

not be able to gnaw and destroyed it in a short period of time of experimenting. PVC is easy

to find and buy, and the price is not expensive which can save lots of cost. Moreover, it is

easily to clean as it does not absorb water. The properties of PVC are not harmful to guinea

pig. Plastic welding has been chosen for welding PVC sheet together instead of solvent-

welding cements because solvent-welding cements might be toxic for animals.

Methodology Literature Review

According to Maze Engineers, the professional

scientists company about making unique maze for

experiment, they examined on the mouse by using about

reference memory which can be called as long-term

memory. They decided to use 8 arm radial maze for doing

this experiment by training the mouse. First, they would make the mouse run the 8 arm radial

maze by 4 ways were blocked with another 4 arms were baited every times. Then, train the

mouse for 49 trial. At the 50th trial, they would observe the mouse by the mouse should go

only in 4 arms with the foods if it went in at wrong arm, it would count as reference-memory

error which mean the guinea pigs memory didnt work well. The faster it can get all the

foods means that it starts to remember the way.

The experiment was adapted from Maze Engineers, the differences are that the

method will be applied to guinea pig, and also the guinea pigs diet will be restricted on
because when doing the experiment, it will become more motivated. Moreover, how the

guinea pig enter the maze is changed by making the entrance instead of putting them in the

center.

Ethical/ Humane Considerations:

According to Assessing Spatial Learning and Memory in Rodents, the Radial-arm

maze requires dietary restriction to persuade motivation before training which was concerned

for animal weight loss. In contrast, T, Radial Arm, and Barnes Mazes article(2013) had

approved that food restriction is unnecessarily to concern for animals well-being concern but

observing guinea pig daily to make sure that excessive weight loss does not happen. The

proof from T, Radial Arm, and Barnes Mazes journal made us be confident that dietary

restriction is safe for guinea pig. Also, weigh guinea pig everyday is essential so that guinea

pig wont get weight loss.

Guinea pig need to be familiar with bell pepper(reward or baits).

Surrounding environment need to be silent since guinea pig is easily be

startled.
Using fresh vegetable(bell pepper) which was washed before using to get rid

of contaminant substances which had been contained during process even though the

food is an organic foods to ensure that vegetables are clean and safe for guinea pig.
Using nontoxic material for guinea pig
PVC sheet is a safe material for guinea pig
The maze is on the floor which doesnt dangerous for guinea pig
The maze is wide enough for guinea pig.
Too wide or too narrow maze will make guinea pig anxious

which affect their behaviour.

Data collection

Table1: Using this table to record the information of trained Guinea pig for 1 day (Should be

recorded for 5 days)

Day1:

Round How fast How fast How fast How fast How fast Reference
they get they get they get they get they can - memory
first piece second third piece forth piece get all the Error
(Min) piece (Min) (Min) food (Min) (Times)
(Min)

Trial 1 2.07 0.32 0.25 0.06 5.18 4

Trial 2 0.06 0.57 0.35 0.34 3.10 4

Trial 3 0.06 0.27 0.27 0.06 2.20 3

Trial 4 0.06 0.18 0.05 0.17 2.05 3

Trial 5 0.12 0.04 0.16 0.13 1.06 3

Average 0.462 0.276 0.216 0.152 2.718 3.4

Day2:

Round How fast How fast How fast How fast How fast Reference
they get they get they get they get they can - memory
first piece second third piece forth piece get all the Error
(Sec) piece (Sec) (Sec) (Sec) food (sec) (Times)

Trial 1 0.03 0.11 0.03 0.16 1.09 4

Trial 2 0.11 0.02 0.03 0.16 1.35 4

Trial 3 0.12 0.12 0.02 0.03 1.15 2

Trial 4 0.17 0.05 0.34 0.04 1.36 2

Trial 5 0.17 0.04 0.03 0.02 1.51 0

Average 0.12 0.068 0.09 0.082 1.292 2.4

Day3:

Round How fast How fast How fast How fast How fast Reference
they get they get they get they get they can - memory
first piece second third piece forth piece get all the Error
(Sec) piece (Sec) (Sec) (Sec) food (sec) (Times)

Trial 1 0.05 0.04 0.03 0.06 1.03 1

Trial 2 0.05 0.11 0.08 0.12 1.18 4

Trial 3 0.03 0.11 0.06 0.24 1.33 4

Trial 4 0.03 0.08 0.09 0.06 1.09 3

Trial 5 0.06 0.08 0.06 0.08 1.02 3

Average 0.044 0.084 0.064 0.112 1.13 3

Day4:

Round How fast How fast How fast How fast How fast Reference
they get they get they get they get they can - memory
first piece second third piece forth piece get all the Error
(Sec) piece (Sec) (Sec) (Sec) food (sec) (Times)

Trial 1 0.03 0.08 0.07 0.17 1.26 2

Trial 2 0.03 0.07 0.08 0.06 1.14 3

Trial 3 0.05 0.07 0.08 0.21 1.12 2

Trial 4 0.04 0.14 0.05 1.07 2.13 4

Trial 5 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.04 0.35 1

Average 0.036 0.08 0.066 0.31 1.2 2.4

Day5:

Round How fast How fast How fast How fast How fast Reference
they get they get they get they get they can - memory
 first piece second third piece forth piece get all the Error
(Sec) piece (Sec) (Sec) (Sec) food (sec) (Times)

Trial 1 0.03 0.06 0.07 0.06 1.00 3

Trial 2 0.09 0.04 0.05 0.04 0.48 2

Trial 3 0.05 0.05 0.06 0.07 1.00 1

Trial 4 0.03 0.05 0.04 0.06 1.00 1

Trial 5 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.36 1

Average 0.048 0.05 0.164 0.06 0.768 1.6

Note: Record the Data

If guinea pig use more time than the first trial count as an error.
Guinea pig enter the arm that never been baited count as an

error.
In day 5 of training, the guinea pig would use lesser time to

complete the maze than the first day. (Compare average of each day)

Table2: On Experiment day, using this table to record the information for both trained guinea

pig and trained only one times guinea pig to compare.

Trained only one times Guinea Pig(Training Stage)

Round How fast How fast How fast How fast How fast Reference
they get they get they get they get they can - memory
first piece second third piece forth piece get all the Error
(Sec) piece (Sec) (Sec) (Sec) food (sec) (Times)

Trial 1 23 20 193 112 6.18 4

Trained Guinea pig (Experiment Stage)

Round How fast How fast How fast How fast How fast Reference
they get they get they get they get they can - memory
first piece second third piece forth piece get all the Error
(Sec) piece (Sec) (Sec) (Sec) food (sec) (Times)
Trial 1 2 4 5 2 21 2

Trained only one times Guinea Pig(Experiment Stage)

Round How fast How fast How fast How fast How fast Reference
they get they get they get they get they can - memory
first piece second third piece forth piece get all the Error
(Sec) piece (Sec) (Sec) (Sec) food (sec) (Times)

Trial 1 - - - - - -

Compare the average

Limitations

Since the experiment are using two guinea pigs

- Both of guinea pigs have difference in genetically, mentally

(mood) and physically(health), which can affect their learning ability and

memory.
Difference in diet
The experiment will use the bell pepper for training the guinea

pig for running the maze. However, difference in diet can cause a problem.

Another one might be attracted to bell pepper and another is not.

Timeline of experiment

Tasks Date
Research on basic information 31st March - 3rd April 2017
Brainstorm and create a research question 18th April 2017
Modified research question and divided the 24th April 2017

tasks for proposal

Working on proposal outline and planing on 25th April - 31st April 2017

maze design
Send project proposal outline 1st May 2017
Edit and revise the final project proposal 3rd - 7th May 2017

Send final project proposal 8th May 2017

Prepare the cage for guinea pig 9th -10th May 2017
Buying materials for building maze 11th - 12th May 2017
Building the maze and checking the safety of 13th - 14th May 2017

the maze
Food restriction and habituatation 15th - 16th May 2017

Training, Experimenting, analyse and 17th - 24th May 2017

conclusion
Making viedo and personal reflections 25th May 2017
Finish the project 26th May 2017

Conclusion

All in all, to improve that guinea pigs which have ability to learn and remember

things have long-term memory, we will do the experiment which will use a radial maze and

let them walk inside and record how much time do they use to find food. If the guinea pig

that had done training already spends time more than or equal to the guinea pig that had not

done any training before, it can be conclude that guinea pig do not have long term memory

and the repetition cannot help to change short-term memory to long-term memory. On the

other hand, if the guinea pig spends time less than the guinea pig that had not done any

training before, that will improve that guinea pig do have a long term memory and our

hypothesis is correct.
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