Abstract
24 male rats were randomly assigned into one of three groups. The first group was immediately reinforced with food pellets upon entering a wide goal-box area after running down a straight alley. The second group was reinforced with food pellets 10 sec. after they placed their noses above the goal cup. A third group was reinforced 30 sec. after they placed their noses above the goal cup. All animals were given a total of 72 trials (four trials per day). The results indicated that rats given immediate reinforcement ran faster than those with a 10-sec. delay which were faster than those with a 30-sec. delay. These findings suggest that the results of the previous studies were due to delay of reinforcement effects and not confinement in the goal-box or handling following a run.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.