Preference for novel flavors in adult Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus).
The authors fed rats 1 of 2 distinctively flavored, roughly equipalatable diets for 3 days then offered them an ad libitum choice between the 2 diets. For 3 days, subjects exhibited a reduced relative intake of whichever diet they had previously eaten (Experiment 1). Such reduction in relative intake was as effective as a toxicosis-induced conditioned aversion in determining subjects' food choices (Experiment 2). The strength of exposure-induced reduction in relative intake did not depend on similarity of the 2 diets offered for choice either to each other or to subjects' maintenance diet (Experiment 3) but did require continuous exposure to a diet (Experiment 4). These experiments provide the first evidence of a robust, exposure-induced decrease infood preference in rats lasting for days rather than minutes.
Galef
Bennett G
BG
Department of Psychology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. galef@mcmaster.ca
Whiskin
Elaine E
EE
D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009812:Odorants; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012903:Smell
D018021:Lithium Chloride