Food-delay duration and the development of schedule-induced polydipsia in rats

Twelve rats were exposed to a schedule that delivered a food pellet every 60 s (fixed time 60 s). The development of schedule-induced polydipsia was measured in terms of the water consumed and the licks per interpellet interval. Every lick by master rats initiated an unsignalled delay of 2 or 50 s in food delivery. Yoked-control rats received food at the same time as their masters, being unaffected by their own licking. Schedule-induced polydipsia developed in master rats exposed to 2-s delays, but more slowly and to a lesser extent than control animals. The development of polydipsia was prevented in master rats exposed to 50-s delays, however. When these delays were discontinued, polydipsia was obtained by master rats. The finding that the effect of the delays was modulated by their duration supports the view that the development of schedule-induced polydipsia is sensitive to control by its environmental consequences.