Abstract
The effect of food deprivation level at the time of initial exposure to a subsequent food reinforcer was investigated in two experiments. In Experiment 1, deprivation at the time of initial exposure influenced the subsequent acquisition and extinction of an instrumental response. In Experiment 2, the residual deprivation effect associated with a reduction in deprivation level occurred only when rats initially experienced the reinforcer at a high, as compared with a low, deprivation level. Results were discussed in terms of the assumption that the limits of incentive generated by a reinforcer are influenced by the deprivation state at the time of first exposure to that reinforcer.
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This research is based on a thesis submitted by Dane K. Peterson, under the direction of James H. McHose, to the Graduate School, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, in partial fulfillment of requirements for the MA degree.
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Peterson, D., McHose, J.H. The residual deprivation effect in instrumental conditioning as a function of deprivation level at the time of exposure to the reinforcer. Animal Learning & Behavior 8, 642–646 (1980). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03197781
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03197781