Operant responding for visual stimuli during sensory deprivation: Effect of meaningfulness.

Employed slide series differing in amount of meaningfulness as reinforcers for conjugately programed operant responding during 2-hr sessions of sensory deprivation and control conditions. Ss were 36 student nurses, 17-22 yr. old. Every S had the opportunity to respond to the slide series under both sets of conditions. Rates of responding under both conditions were higher for the more meaningful slide series, but rates of responding for the least meaningful reinforcers were higher under sensory deprivation conditions than under control conditions. Results are interpreted as indicating a need for nonmeaningful stimulation and for meaningful stimulation during sensory deprivation. (19 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)