?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Testosterone+administration+in+chicks+affects+responding+in+the+presence+of+task+irrelevant+stimulus+changes&rft.creator=Oades%2C+R.D.&rft.creator=Messent%2C+&rft.subject=Behavioral+Neuroscience&rft.subject=Neuroendocrinology&rft.subject=Psychobiology&rft.description=Introduction%3A+%0AA+series+of+studies+have+shown+that+circulating+testosterone+increases+the+persistence+with+which+animals+search+for+and+select+a+particular+visual+cue+to+respond+to+(as+a+consequence+of+experience+with+it)+-+and+hence+incur+a+perseveration+of+response+towards+such+cues+(e.g.+Rogers+1971%3B+Andrew+1972%2C+Archer+1976%3B+Earley+%26+Leonard+1978).+%0AWe+tested+the+effect+of+testosterone+on+such+attention-related+mechanisms+by+studying+the+effect+of+intradimensionsional+colour+changes+to+cues+relevant+and+irrelevant+to+an+operant+discrimination+on+continuous+reinforcement+learning+(non-reversal+shifts).%0A%0AMethods%3A%0ATreatment%3A+Chicks+(20+males)+were+given+12.5+mg+testosterone+enanthate+im+after+training+on+a+continuous+reinforcement+schedule+of+response+(CRF)%3B+19+controls+received+sesame+oil+vehicle+and+8+males+and+15+females+had+no+treatment.%0ATesting%3A+Birds+were+given+A)+test+sessions+on+day+10+and+11%3A+whereby+each+session+consisted+of+2+minutes+training%2C+5+minutes+test+then+2+minutes+re-training%3A+B)+4+types+of+test+--(i)+the+negative+key+colour+changed+from+red+to+deep+blue%2C+(ii)+the+positive+key+colour+changed+from+pale+blue+to+green%2C+and+(iii)+both+key+colours+changed+as+described%2C+and+(iv)+the+overhead+lighting+changed+with+the+introduction+of+a+pale+red+filter.+%0A%0AResults%3A+%0A1%2F+Treatment+did+not+affect+CRF+patterns+of+discriminative+responding.%0A2%2F+All+birds+decreased+their+response+rate+after+a+colour+change.%0A3%2F+After+changes+on+the+non-reinforced+key%2C+testosterone+treated+birds+showed+significantly+less+attenuation+of+response+rate.%0A4%2F+Testosterone+treatment+also+maintained+a+higher+rate+of+response+(and+hence+fewer+reinforcements)+-+seen+especially+after+a+change+in+the+negative+cue+or+overhead+lighting+vs.+changes+in+the+positive+cue+(irrelevant+changes+of+stimulation).%0A5%2F+Testosterone+treated+birds+also+showed+a+shorter+latency+to+respond+after+a+colour+change.%0A6%2F+The+female+birds+did+not+differ+from+the+males%0A%0AConclusions%3A%0AThe+results+support+a+role+for+testosterone+in+the+discrimination+between+relevant+and+irrelevant+stimulus+changes+and+the+persistent+expression+of+learned+sets.%0AThe+fact+that+responding+after+testosterone+treatment+was+altered+by+irrelevant+rather+than+relevant+stimulus+changes+suggests+that+testosterone+achieves+its+persistence+effect+by+enhancing+the+activated+set+or+what+is+at+the+focus+of+attention%2C+rather+than+the+inhibition+of+features+irrelevant+to+the+ongoing+situation+-+these+provide+the+reference+for+'what+is+relevant'+and+changes+in+them+disturb+this+mechanism&rft.publisher=Academic+Press&rft.date=1981&rft.type=Journal+(Paginated)&rft.type=PeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F1504%2F2%2Fbird-testost-drl-81.pdf&rft.identifier=++Oades%2C+R.D.+and+Messent%2C+++(1981)+Testosterone+administration+in+chicks+affects+responding+in+the+presence+of+task+irrelevant+stimulus+changes.++%5BJournal+(Paginated)%5D+++++&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Fcogprints.org%2F1504%2F