Rewarding effect of performance of gnawing aroused by hypothalamic stimulation in the rat.

Abstract

When a strong readiness to gnaw was elicited by hypothalamic stimulation in rats, gnawable objects acted as rewards to produce learning of position and black-white discrimination habits in a Y maze. Control Ss given stimulation that did not evoke gnawing did not learn. Experimental Ss did not gnaw without stimulation or when the object was armored with sheet metal. If stimulation was turned on while experimental Ss were eating powdered food, they ceased eating and gnawed on a board, indicating that gnawing was not due to hunger or to nonspecific activation of dominant responses. Functions of reward effects exerted by innate responses and relation of innate response mechanisms to basic drivers are discussed.