Effects of differential food deprivation on partial reinforcement in two selectively bred strains of rats

Abstract

The effects of three levels of food deprivation, and shift in reinforcement patterns were investigated in selectively bred high-(RHA/Lu) and low( RLA/Lu) avoidance strains. The high-avoidance strain responded to the appetitive drive to a greater extent than the low-avoidance strain whereas the low-avoidance strain responded to change in reinforcement pattern more strongly than the high-avoidance strain. The males and females of both the RHA/Lu and RLA/Lu strain responded differently to the change in food deprivation pattern. The RHA/Lu females and the RLA/Lu males yielded an inverted U-shaped function over the three food deprivation levels.