Effect of Light/Dark Cycle on Wheel Running and Responding Reinforced by the Opportunity to Run Depends on Postsession Feeding Time

Do rats run and respond at a higher rate to run during the dark phase when they are typically more active? to answer this question, Long Evans rats were exposed to a response-initiated variable interval 30-s schedule of wheel-running reinforcement during light and dark cycles. Wheel-running and loca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Psychological record 2008-06, Vol.58 (3), p.391-404
Main Authors: Belke, T. W., Mandrona, A. R., Conrad, K. M., Poirier, K. F., Pickering, K. L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Behavior
Behavior Modification
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Canada
Circadian rhythm
Circadian rhythms
Enrollment
Experiments
Foreign Countries
Light
Operant Conditioning
Opportunities
Physical Activities
Physiological aspects
Psychology
Rats
Rattus
Reinforcement
Reinforcement (Psychology)
Rodents
Water
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Summary:Do rats run and respond at a higher rate to run during the dark phase when they are typically more active? to answer this question, Long Evans rats were exposed to a response-initiated variable interval 30-s schedule of wheel-running reinforcement during light and dark cycles. Wheel-running and local lever-pressing rates increased modestly during the dark phase. a second experiment examined the potential role of food-anticipatory activity in this effect by delaying postexperimental session feeding by 6 hr No increase in wheel-running and lever-pressing rates was observed during the dark phase. This suggests that the effect of light/dark cycle on running and responding for the opportunity to run depended upon food-anticipatory activity.
ISSN:0033-2933
2163-3452
DOI:10.1007/BF03395625