Learning motivated by a manipulation drive.

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Abstract
Four rhesus monkeys were presented in their living cages with an assembled puzzle apparatus consisting of a wooden base to which was attached, flush, a hasp restrained by a hook which was, in turn, restrained by a pin. Four matched control subjects were given unassembled puzzles. After 12 days'' experience with the puzzles, both groups were observed with the puzzles for five 5-min. periods at hourly intervals on both Days 13 and 14. Following the last observation on Day 14, three trials were presented with food rewards, followed by a final trial without extrinsic reward. Results show that the exptl. group learned to manipulate the puzzle in a highly efficient manner, although no specific extrinsic reward of any kind was presented. Introduction of food served to disrupt performance on the food trials and the subsequent non-food trial. The authors propose an externally elicited manipulation drive to account for the behavior obtained in this study.

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