In the 1940s, behavioral psychologist Robert Tryon conducted

Last updated: 7/5/2022

In the 1940s, behavioral psychologist Robert Tryon conducted an experiment in which rats were placed in a complex maze that had a food reward at one exit. Rats that made fewer errors navigating the maze were bred together to create a "maze-bright colony." Rats that made more errors were bred together to create a "maze-dull colony." After selectively breeding the mice for seven generations, Tryon tested offspring from each colony to determine how quickly those rats would learn the maze. Offspring of the maze- bright rats consistently made fewer errors than the maze-dull offspring. Tyron's research therefore suggests that the ability to navigate the maze successfully was influenced by genes passed from parent to offspring. Who is the primary audience? biology students genetics researchers people who own pet rats professional psychologists