Document Type

Research

Abstract

Behavior has often been found to be a positive function of the strength of the hunger drive (D), where the latter was defined in terms of hours of food deprivation (Td). Attempts to interpret this relationship have been concerned with two alternatives: either Td determines only D, or Td determines, in addition to D, the amount of learning or habit strength (H) acquired. Characteristic experimental designs have been used to evaluate these alternative explanations. In one set of experiments (2, 4, 5, 8, 11, 12), after an initial period of constant drive, responses are observed in a test period during which drive is varied. Performance differences in this test period presumably reflect differences only in D, since all conditions under which the habit was acquired were constant. Thus the observed relationship between test-period response strength and Td has been taken to indicate the relation of D to Td.

Publication Date

1953

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

Issue

First Page

540

Last Page

545

Copyright

Language

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Ramond, Charles K. (1953) "The Effect of a Shift in Time of Deprivation Upon Performance in Instrumental Learning," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 60(1), 540-545.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol60/iss1/73

Download

Comments?

COinS

The Effect of a Shift in Time of Deprivation Upon Performance in Instrumental Learning

Authors