Interaction of social and individual learning in food preferences of Norway rats

We conducted four experiments to examine the effects of individual experience of postingestive consequences of eating foods on the longevity of Norway rats', Rattus norvegicus, socially enhanced food preferences. The results of these experiments showed that: (1) waning of a socially enhanced food preference resulted from experience of postingestive consequences of foods, (2) time available each day to sample foods affected the rate at which a …