ArticleAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI2016
Quantity Discrimination in Domestic Rats, Rattus norvegicus.
Article in Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Categorical Representation of Numerosity in the Pigeon Entopallium: Coding Format and Temporal Dynamics.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Assessing quantity combination and dissociation in giraffes.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Continuous versus discrete quantity discrimination in dune snail (Mollusca: Gastropoda) seeking thermal refuges.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Reciprocity: Different behavioural strategies, cognitive mechanisms and psychological processes.Learning & behavior · 2019Review
- The role of item size on choosing contrasted food quantities in angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare).Scientific reports · 2019Article
- Towards numerical cognition's origin: insights from day-old domestic chicks.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2017Review
- Response to intruder number is related to spontaneous quantity discrimination performance in a wild bird.Behavioral ecology : official journal of the International Society for Behavioral EcologyArticle
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2 authors.
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Abstract
Quantity discrimination is a basic form of numerical competence where an animal distinguishes which of two amounts is greater in size. Whilst quantity discrimination in rats has been investigated via training paradigms, rats' natural quantity discrimination abilities without explicit training for a desired response have not been explored. This study investigated domestic rats' ability to perform quantity discrimination. Domestic rats ( n = 12) were examined for their ability to distinguish the larger amount under nine quantity comparisons. One-sample t -tests identified a significant preference for the larger quantity in comparisons of 1 vs. 2, 2 vs. 3, 3 vs. 5, 3 vs. 8, 4 vs. 6, and 4 vs. 8. No preference between quantities was found for comparisons of 3 vs. 4, 4 vs. 5 and 5 vs. 6. Overall, this study drew two key conclusions. Firstly, that domestic rats are capable of performing quantity discrimination without extensive training. Secondly, as subjects adhered to Weber's law, it was concluded that the approximate number system underpins domestic rats' ability to perform spontaneous quantity discrimination.
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