USU Lab Uses Rats to Help Learn About Human Behavior

Rats and humans share many similarities.

The two species share 98% of their DNA. Studies show that rats may have the ability of imagination, much like humans, and they might also be able to monitor the strength of their own thoughts and memories.

These similarities to human behavior are part of why, here at USU, a lab is using them to study human behavior and how we might be able to intervene and help with negative behaviors — like gambling, smoking and substance abuse.

The teaching lab takes on a new and unique study each year; and in doing so, they include undergraduate students in this research. This gives the students research experience early in their schooling, an opportunity that can be transformative of their academic careers and beyond.

In this video learn about the impact that taking this lab can have, and why the lab rats are such a crucial component of the work.

Editor's note: the following explains some conditions of the animals' habitat in the research lab and reasons for being used for research purposes.

These research animals are kept in plexiglass chambers, not metal boxes, the top and sides of the chambers are clear with ventilation holes. The animals earn food rewards by pressing a lever or pecking a key. Light is presented to the animals based on a chosen response; If the animal does not make the response, the light would not be presented. This means the animals intentionally choose to see the light which shows it is not aversive or scary to them.

The experiments are novel to science and designed to be publishable every semester which is also ignored in the suggestions that the work could be conducted using the simplistic and, in some cases, completed outdated simulations that are recommended. For example, Sniffy the Virtual Rat which is recommended was last updated in 2011. The recommended simulations cannot model the behavior being studied, which was also described in response materials.