科学家在3月28日的《科学》（Science）杂志上报道说，新的研究显示，大鼠能学会简单的规则并将它们应用于新的处境中。这种能力一般被认为是人类思想的一个根本要旨。从特定经验中导引出抽象的规则并籍此创建新的序列场景是诸如幼童等如何学习语言的方式。某些研究已经提示婴儿、其它的灵长类动物甚至某些禽鸟能够学会识别某些类型的序列场景，但非人类动物是否能够真的学会某些规则还不甚清楚。
Robin Murphy及其同事令大鼠接触分为三部分的序列场景，即要么为视觉信号（轮次出现的暗淡及明亮的光线）或者为听觉信号（轮次出现的高音或低音）。这些动物在接受食物的时候还同时接受某种序列的场景而非其它序列的场景。接着，这些作者改变了听觉试验中的音调频率，但却仍然维持相同的序列模式。将大鼠头部低向喂食槽的时间长短作为期待食物的评判，结果发现，这些大鼠看来能够根据他们所学会的规则来区别所听到的有关信号模式。（来源：EurekAlert!中文版）
生物谷推荐原始出处：
（Science），Vol. 319. no. 5871, pp. 1849 - 1851，Robin A. Murphy，Victoria A. Murphy
Rule Learning by Rats
Robin A. Murphy,1* Esther Mondragón,1* Victoria A. Murphy2
Using rules extracted from experience to solve problems in novel situations involves cognitions such as analogical reasoning and language learning and is considered a keystone of humans' unique abilities. Nonprimates, it has been argued, lack such rule transfer. We report that Rattus norvegicus can learn simple rules and apply them to new situations. Rats learned that sequences of stimuli consistent with a rule (such as XYX) were different from other sequences (such as XXY or YXX). When novel stimuli were used to construct sequences that did or did not obey the previously learned rule, rats transferred their learning. Therefore, rats, like humans, can transfer structural knowledge from sequential experiences.
1 Department of Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
2 Department of Education, University of Oxford, 15 Norham Gardens, Oxford OX2 6PY, UK.
