Female rats exhibit a conditioned place preference for nonpaced mating.
Paced, but not nonpaced, mating behavior is reported to induce a conditioned place preference (CPP) in female rats. Contrary to these previous findings, Experiment 1 showed that female rats that received 15 intromissions from a single male rat during each of five conditioning sessions exhibited a CPP for the compartment associated with mating when the intromissions were delivered via a paced or nonpaced paradigm. Experiment 2 demonstrated that nonpaced mating induced a CPP when a single male delivered the 15 intromissions but not when the male was replaced following ejaculation and a new male allowed to complete the requisite number of intromissions. These findings invite reevaluation of the reinforcing aspects of mating behavior in female rats.
Meerts
Sarah H
SH
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
Clark
Ann S
AS
D000818:Animals; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D003307:Copulation; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal