A study of motivating conditions necessary for secondary reinforcement.

Abstract

An expt. was designed to determine whether generalization of secondary reinforcement from the thirst to the hunger drive is a function of the intensity of hunger on the test period. Two exptl. groups of 4 rats were first subjected to repeated presentations of small quantities of water accompanied by an auditory stimulus; 4 control rats did not receive this training. During a subsequent test period, conducted in a Skinner-apparatus, bar-pressing responses were followed by the auditory stimulus. The test involved one exptl. group 23 hrs. hungry, satiated on water; a 2d exptl. group 6 hrs. hungry, satiated on water; and a control group 23 hrs. hungry, satiated on water. Rate of bar-pressing increased significantly over the unconditioned rate for the 1st exptl. group, but decreased for the other 2 groups. It is concluded that a secondary reinforcing cue will be effective in strengthening responses when the original drive has been eliminated by satiation, provided that some other source of motivation is present in a sufficiently strong degree to instigate activity.