Effect of upcoming reward type when rats press a lever for ethanol.
Rats' operant responding for sucrose rewards in the 1st half of a session can vary directly with the conditions of reward in the 2nd half. The authors investigated whether that induction effect represented an animal model of emotive states. Rats pressed a lever for either ethanol or sucrose rewards in the 1st half of a 40-min session. The reward in the 2nd half of the session was, across conditions, 1% sucrose, a food pellet, or the same reinforcer delivered in the 1st half. When subjects responded for sucrose, upcoming reward type had little influence on responding in the 1st half of the session. However, when subjects responded for ethanol, upcoming 1% sucrose and food-pellet reinforcement both produced increases in responding. The results suggest that the procedure produced different emotive states, but further work is needed to support such a model. The results also have potential applied implications.
Weatherly
Jeffrey N
JN
Department of Psychology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks 58202-8380, USA. jeffrey_weatherly@und.nodak.edu
Bishop
Kelly L
KL
Borowiak
Dana M
DM
D000339:Affect; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012201:Reward
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D000431:Ethanol