Three groups of 5 rats were administered either large reward (10 pellets), small reward (2 pellets), or multiple shifts (Iarge-small-large-etc.) in an alleyway. The multiple-shift group received a total of 7 large and 6 small phases of reinforcement. Early in training the shifted group exhibited positive contrast effect to a shift to large reward and negative contrast effect to a shift to small reward. Later in training, the same group showed neither effect perhaps because experience with the shift provided a smaller discrepancy between the upshifts and downshifts in magnitude of reward.
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