In a classic study, a group of rats learned to run through a maze to obtain food, and another group of rats explored the maze without receiving food. some time later, the researcher compared the two groups of rats to determine if both groups would find the food at the end of the maze. according to the researcher, the untrained rats found the food at the end of the maze as quickly as the trained rats as a result of.

latent learning        

Explanation:

Latent learning: The term latent learning was proposed by the psychologist Edward Tolman while researching on rats, but it has been first studied by the researcher Hugh Blodgett.

Latent learning: In psychology, the term latent learning is defined as a form of learning that can't be expressed in an overt response immediately. Latent learning can occur in the absence of any behavioral reinforcement or learned associations. In learner's behavior, learning doesn't appear while experiencing latent learning yet learners can manifest it through motivation and suitable circumstances.

In the question above, the statement signifies the latent learning.