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Ubiquity of schedule-induced polydipsia
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|March 1, 1974
Summary
Food-deprived rats showed excessive drinking after receiving food pellets when water was freely available. Restricting water access also led to excessive drinking, highlighting environmental scheduling
Area of Science:
- Behavioral neuroscience
- Animal behavior studies
Background:
- Food-deprived rats exhibit specific drinking behaviors.
- Environmental factors can influence excessive behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between spaced feeding and excessive drinking in rats.
- To determine if environmental scheduling influences excessive water consumption.
Main Methods:
- Spaced feeding of individual food pellets to food-deprived rats.
- Manipulating water availability (continuous vs. restricted access).
- Removing competition from food-reinforced bar pressing.
Main Results:
- Excessive drinking was induced after pellet delivery when water was continuously available.
- When water access was restricted, excessive drinking occurred whenever drinking was possible.
- Environmental scheduling significantly impacts excessive drinking behavior.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates that spaced feeding can induce excessive drinking in rats.
- Environmental scheduling characteristics are implicated in the induction of excessive behaviors.
- Findings support broader theories of excessive behavior linked to environmental cues.