Food versus no food on the pre-delay trial of delayed response.

1 August 1941

journal article
research article
Published by American Psychological Association (APA) in Journal of Comparative Psychology

Vol. 32 (1) , 153-164
https://doi.org/10.1037/h0055467

Abstract

Two groups of 30 rats each were taught a black-white discrimination and then progressively increasing delay periods were introduced. In one group the animals were fed after the pre-delay trial, in the other the animals were fed after the delay trial. The group receiving no food on the pre-delay run proved far superior in length of delay negotiated and in accuracy of retention. The concept of transfer is offered as a means of explaining this finding.