title: Circadian time perception.
abstract: The variability of anticipating a meal was investigated. Sprague-Dawley rats earned food by inspecting a food source during a 3-hr interval. Food was not available at other times. In Experiment 1, the meal started 3 or 7 hr after light offset in a 12-hr light-dark cycle. Experiment 2 was conducted in constant darkness with 14-, 22-, 22.5-, 24-, 25.5-, 26-, or 34-hr intermeal intervals. Inspections increased before the meal. Rats timed intervals in the circadian range (22-26 hr) with lower variability than that for intervals outside this range (3-14 and 34 hr). Higher precision in timing selected intervals violates the scalar property. Proximity to a circadian oscillator improves timing precision. Variability may be used to identify oscillators with noncircadian periods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-3013, USA. jcrystal@uga.edu
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Crystal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003216:Conditioning, Operant; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013998:Time Perception