Hoarding-induced lever pressing in golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus): Illumination, time of day, and shock as motivating operations.

Assessed the effects of illumination, time of day, and shock on the hoarding-induced lever pressing of 42 male golden hamsters. Results of Exp I show that Ss pouched the pellets instead of eating them when there was illumination. It was also observed that the Ss stopped lever pressing in the absence of chamber illumination. When chamber illumination and time-of-day variables were manipulated systematically, this was especially prominent in Ss tested during their night cycle. In Exp II, it was observed that the presence of mild shock, but not pure tone, could also alleviate the need for food deprivation in maintaining a food-reinforced lever press response. Data are discussed in terms of the potential for using illumination and mild shock as alternative sources of establishing motivation for food-reinforced behaviors. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)