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"An experiment conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota has shown that rats can experience a feeling like regret, similar to humans.\nAccording to ScienceDaily, researchers developed a task called \u201CRestaurant Row\u201D to see if rats could experience regret. The scientists defined regret as \u201Cthe recognition that you made a mistake, that if you had done something else, you would have been better off.\u201D\nSee also: When Will Humans Upload Their Brains to Computers?\nResearchers measured the rats\u2019 orbitofrontal cortex \u2014 a part of the brain that is active while experiencing regret \u2014 while presenting them with flavored pellets.\nThe rats would have to wait a certain amount of time before a feeding machine dispensed a pellet. The critters learned a tone would indicate just how long they\u2019d have to wait.\nThe rats would skip an entrance if they thought they'd have to wait too long for a meal, but sometimes the wait at the other entrance was even worse. When they made a bad choice, they stopped and looked back, which researchers interpreted as regret.\nThe rats' orbitofrontal cortex seemed to confirm this suggestion. When the rats longingly looked back at the entrance they skipped, their brains showed a representation of entering that restaurant.\nPBS reports some of the rats learned from their mistake, just like humans do. Some of the rats' neural activity showed them planning their next meal after a mistake.\nThe study was published June 8 in the journal Nature Neuroscience.\nHave something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2014/06/11/rats-experience-regret/>