Final answer:
The Morris water maze test measures learning and memory, particularly spatial memory and learning, in rodents by timing how quickly they find a hidden platform in a pool.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Morris water maze test is a behavioral experiment used in neuroscientific research, typically involving rodents like mice or rats. This test assesses the learning and memory capabilities, specifically spatial memory and learning. In the Morris water maze, the animal is placed in a large circular pool filled with opaque water and is required to find a hidden platform just beneath the surface to escape from swimming. Over repeated trials, the animal learns the location of the platform using visual cues around the room. The construct measured is the animal's cognitive ability, specifically looking at memory and learning components of spatial navigation. The measure of this ability is quantified usually through the escape latency, which is the time it takes the animal to find the hidden platform in subsequent trials.