The classical conditioning of the consumatory response as a determinant of instrumental performance.

Abstract

Using hooded rats and running performance on a straight runway an attempt was made to demonstrate that incentive factors can be manipulated independently of the learning of an instrumental response. After non-rewarded training runs animals were fed directly in the reward box; anticipated increases in running speed on test trials following the direct feeding were not obtained. Similar negative results attended direct feeding given on each training day about 15 min. after the non-rewarded runs. Running speed increased sharply when reward was given on test trials. "This finding was taken as evidence supporting the view that the action of reward is at least partially independent of the learning of the instrumental response." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)