Year of Award

2012

Document Type

Professional Paper

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Experimental Psychology

Department or School/College

Department of Psychology

Committee Chair

Allen Szalda-Petree

Commitee Members

Nabil Haddad, Jerry Smith

Keywords

Betta splendens, photocycle, self control

Abstract

The present study examined the effect of varying light cycles on self-control in Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens). The subjects included 16 male Betta splendens, and instrumental choice trials were run. A subject began each trial in the start box and, when a guillotine divider door was lifted, entered one side of a divided terminus. The checkerboard side of the choice door represented either the smaller, more immediate choice (SS) or the larger, more delayed choice (LL). When the subject had entered one side of the goal box, the guillotine divider door was lowered and the subject was given food pellets, 1 pellet immediately or 3 pellets after 18 seconds, depending on which side of the choice door the subject entered. Prior to and during these trials, subjects experienced various levels of daily light exposure (12:12 h light-dark or 6:18 h light-dark). Fish exposed to 6 hours of light and 18 hours of darkness were expected to have more impulsive choices, while fish exposed to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness were expected to exhibit more self-control choices. Contrary to the hypothesis, fish exposed to 6 hours of light and 18 hours of darkness exhibited more self-control choices than fish exposed to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.

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© Copyright 2012 Kathryn Gwen Lamp