Abstract

Discusses the disadvantages of the box testing cage in rodent precognition work and describes an alternative activity-wheel cage. The inside rim along which the S runs is divided in half along its perimeter by 2 low barriers, and each 10 sec, the random number generator chooses 1 of the 2 halves of the wheel and sends a stimulus if the S is in the chosen side. S's task is to use its precognitive ability to avoid being in the side where it would receive the stimulus. A preliminary study with 14 hamsters gave a significant 58% scoring in the main class of data (random behavior trials-RBT). Results also confirm that, as in prior findings, among the RBT trials the scoring was higher on the "nonshock" trials and those trials preceded by only 1 or 2 jumps between aversive stimuli. The main experiment with 17 Ss also gave significant results on the RBT's (56%) and on the "nonshock" trials, as expected. Trials after 1 or 2 barrier crossings were at the same level as the overall RBT scoring which, though significant, was a departure from the prior pattern of higher scoring in this condition. This finding may suggest that some change is needed in the low-jump criterion.