Concurrent Food- and Water-Reinforced Responding under Food, Water, and Food-Plus-Water Deprivation

Abstract

The effect of 22-hr. food, water, and food-plus-water deprivation cycles upon the bar-pressing performance of rats was assessed. In a two-bar experimental chamber, one bar produced intermittent food and another intermittent water reinforcement. Each food reinforcement was approximately equivalent by weight to each water reinforcement, and both bars were concurrently operative on a variable-interval schedule. During the first and last 6 of 18 successive 2-hr. sessions under each deprivation condition, most responses were emitted under food deprivation, next most under food-plus-water deprivation, and least under water deprivation. Rate of responding for food was consistently higher than for water.