This protocol describes a method for investigating the possibility of metamemory, or memory awareness, in rodents. The odor-based delayed-matching-to-sample paradigm is a novel, ecologically-relevant behavioral test useful for determining the extent to which rodents can adaptively respond based on cognitively monitoring the strength of their memory states.
Total time
~4–8 weeks per rat (including training, testing, and data collection phases)
Model organism
Rat (species not specified; Sprague Dawley or Long Evans typical)
Steps
1
Train match-to-sample and delayed match-to-sample paradigms
Establish odor discrimination baseline using MTS (immediate feedback) and DMTS (variable delays) to familiarize rats with stimulus-response contingencies and memory demands.
▶ 01:06
2
Administer forced versus free-choice test trials
Implement trial blocks requiring rats to complete forced responses or choose between responding and declining, allowing measurement of adaptive metacognitive responding based on memory confidence.
▶ 04:35
3
Analyze evidence for metacognitive responding patterns
Evaluate performance accuracy and decline rates across delay intervals to determine whether rats adjust response strategies based on internal memory state monitoring.
▶ 06:44