Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

1981

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Abstract

To determine whether or not lever pressing is intrinsically related to food gathering in rats, five adult male white rats were subjected to one week of DRO training, followed by 42 sessions of fixed time and four no food extinction sessions. They were subsequently given the opportunity to autoshape the lever press response for food. During fixed time, a stable pattern of terminal and interim responses developed, which was disrupted by the extinction trials. Lever pressing occurred as an interim response. Even after extensive response-independent reinforcement, four of the five animals autoshaped in a single 30 min session, with the remaining animal autoshaping by the third session. It is suggested that lever pressing is indeed a prepared response in rats in a food gathering situation and further, that it is part of a chain of responses that begins with a forepaw manipulatory behavior and terminates with the consumption of the pellet.

Extent

67 p.

Comments

Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1981.|Charles E. Schmidt College of Science|FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection|Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 1981.

Identifier

FADT14060

Format

pdf

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