Intensity, duration, and repetition of hedonic processes as related to acquisition of motives.
- 1 January 1954
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Psychological Association (APA) in Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology
- Vol. 47 (4) , 298-305
- https://doi.org/10.1037/h0055982
Abstract
Rats that were neither hungry nor thirsty were trained to run from a starting box to a sucrose solution located in an open field. After a 60-sec. delay in the box the door was raised and the rat was free to emerge. The animal''s latency and total time of approach to the solution were measured. It was found that the speed at which rats approach a sugar solution is an increasing function of: (1) the concentration of sugar solution employed as an incentive, (2) the duration of contact with the sugar solution, and (3) the number of previous contacts. These three factors are independently variable. It is assumed that these factors regulate respectively the intensity, duration, and frequency of the hedonic processes that organize approach motives.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Operant conditioning, extinction, and periodic reinforcement in relation to concentration of sucrose used as reinforcing agent.Journal of Experimental Psychology, 1953