This study attempts to determine whether deprivation of a given food would result in an increased preference for that food Ten hooded rats were given 18 days of forced runs in a single point discrimination apparatus. 6 days of free runs were interpersed in this period. In 1 alley of the apparatus the animals fed for 10 sec. on one food. In the other alley they fed for a minute on a different food. The forced runs were equally divided between the 2 alle\s The results of the days on which free runs were allowed slow that this group of rats never ran more than 65% of the time to the place where they received a greater amt. of food. A control group run under exactly the same conditions except that the same food was present in both alleys of the apparatus quickly learned to run to the "more food" almost 100% of the time. The difference between the control and exptl. groups can be explained in terms of increased desirability of the food on which the exptl. group experienced "relative deprivation." The proportion of runs to "more food" in the exptl. group is increased significantly by increasing the hunger at the time of running.