Recent research has found that subjects learning a list of paired-associates under conditions requiring one-trial learning are capable of learning a list of paired items in as few a number of trials as subject learning similar lists of paired-associates under a condition using repetition.

Animal episodic-like memory tasks represent important component of episodic memory research. However, currently available episodic-like memory tasks are not based on episodic-like memory or encompass important caveats. In our laboratory, we recently devised a novel one-trial trace association task (OTTAT) to examine one-time associations of temporally discontinuous stimuli. This thesis deals with the improvement of OTTAT protocol by rat strain and compartment divider ('doors') selection which optimally promote the establishment of invariable behaviour of rats in OTTAT. Moreover, the accuracy of one-trial associations is also assessed by determining specificity of "rapid escape" response to conditioned stimulus of given sound characteristics. In Experiment 1, rats (Sprague-Dawley (SD), n = 36; Wistar (WI), n = 17; Long-Evans (LE), n = 8) were habituated 15 min daily for 3 days with standard doors (9 x 11 cm opening) to modified light and dark apparatus. The number of transfers between compartments and values of time spent in dark compartment obtained from 3rd habituation session were evaluated as indicators of invariable behaviour of rats. We found WI rats spend significantly more time in dark compartment than LE (p = 0.002) and SD rats (p = 0.001) and have significantly fewer transfers than LE rats...