Abstract
Four desert pack rats (Neotoma lepida) and four Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained in operant chambers continuously for 6 months and exposed to a variety of experimental conditions. Compared to the Sprague-Dawley rats, Neotoma required a lower food intake to maintain its body weight and emitted responses at a more uniform, distributed rate over 24-h periods. The unusual hoarding drive characteristic of Neotoma could be demonstrated in the operant chambers by dispensing glass beads in the pellet dispenser. However, there was no clear evidence that these “nonorganic rewards” were reinforcing.
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References
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This research was supported by NIMH Grant 05739 to Lincoln D. Clark, M.D. We are indebted to Edward Nakashima for technical assistance throughout the course of the research.
This paper is sponsored by Sherwood O. Cole, who takes full editorial responsibility.
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Clark, L.D., Gay, P.E. Some observations on the operant behavior of desert pack rats (Neotoma lepida). Bull. Psychon. Soc. 8, 309–311 (1976). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03335149
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03335149