CINE ANALYSIS OF VISUAL ORIENTATION AND PURSUIT BY THE MONGOLIAN GERBIL

Six adult male gerbils were trained to run quickly to a disk baited with food reward. By using film records, the amplitude and pattern of head turns were measured during pursuit of these targets. With peripheral targets, Ss made a series of successive rapid head turns, each guided by new visual information obtained during a brief pause. When Ss were presented with moving stimuli in the frontal visual field, the orientation indicated that they could predict the pathway of the target so as to complete the turn on target. This practical use of motion-direction discrimination was associated with very short reaction times. A brief stimulus, which did not elicit orientation, facilitated responding to a 2nd presentation of the stimulus within the same part of the visual field. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1979 American Psychological Association.