Effects of sexual conditioning of devaluing the US through satiation.
Male Japanese quail were conditioned to approach a visual CS that predicted an opportunity to copulate with a female quail. Subsequently the subjects were tested in both non-reinforced and reinforced test trials while sexually satiated and sexually deprived. In the satiation condition the sexual US was devalued by allowing the male subjects to copulate repeatedly with female birds just prior to testing. The subjects displayed significantly less approach to the CS when sexually satiated than when sexually deprived. These results are compatible with a mechanism in which performance of Pavlovian sexual approach conditioning is mediated by activation of a memorial representation of the US.
Hilliard
S
S
Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin 78712.
Domjan
M
M
D000818:Animals; D003214:Conditioning, Classical; D003307:Copulation; D003370:Coturnix; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012527:Satiation; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal