Runway performance of rats for brain-stimulation or food reward: Effects of hunger and priming

Conducted 2 experiments with a total of 8 male Charles River albino rats. In Exp I, using a runway paradigm, pretrial electric stimulation of the brain (ESB), food deprivation, and to a lesser extent water deprivation increased the running speed to an ESB reward. The trial-by-trial course of the change in running speed after the manipulation of food deprivation resembled the steplike performance effect seen when pretrial priming ESB was changed rather than the incremental learning effect seen when the response contingent ESB was changed. In Exp II, pretrial ESB inhibited running for food. Results suggest that hunger and pretrial ESB enhance rats' performance for an ESB reward, but act in opposing directions on their performance for a food reward. Implications for Deutsch's model of self-stimulation are discussed. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).