Effect of handling on positive and negative contrast effects

The effects of early handling on the exhibition of positive and negative contrast effects were investigated. Over two 4-day testing sessions, animals were given alternating 1-min access periods to 2 bottles containing either 32 or 4% sucrose solutions. Measures of lick rate and latency to switch bottles revealed that both handled and nonhandled animals exhibited contrast effects of equal magnitudes. The results did not support an emotional interpretation of contrast effects but were interpreted as support for the perceptual theory of this phenomenon.