Faculty Collaboration Database

Changes in feeding and foraging patterns as an antipredator defensive strategy: a laboratory simulation using aversive stimulation in a closed economy. J Exp Anal Behav 1988 Nov;50(3):361-74

Date

11/01/1988

Pubmed ID

3209954

Pubmed Central ID

PMC1338904

DOI

10.1901/jeab.1988.50-361

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0024120387 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   76 Citations

Abstract

The effects of the risk of electric shock on the meal patterns of rats living in an operant chamber were investigated. Rats could obtain food by working on a response lever that provided reinforcement according to chained fixed-ratio continuous reinforcement schedules that allowed the animals control over meal size. Using a two-compartment operant chamber with a safe nesting area and manipulanda area with a grid floor, shock could be correlated with responding on the schedule. Shocks (less than or equal to 1.25 per hour) were scheduled to occur randomly throughout the day, independent of the rat's behavior. Shock caused a reorganization of meal patterns such that the animals took less frequent but larger meals. This pattern reduced the time the animals spent at risk without compromising caloric balance. Similar changes in feeding pattern were obtained in both hooded and albino rats. Exposure to shock in a separate chamber did not produce these behavioral modifications. The magnitude of shock-induced alterations of meal patterns was greater with chained fixed-ratio 90 continuous reinforcement than with chained fixed-ratio 10 continuous reinforcement. Additionally, the rats seemed to be able to reduce food intake but increase caloric efficiency, such that the reduced food intake did not have deleterious effects on maintenance of body weight. These behavioral modifications reduced the number of shocks received from that which would have been expected if meal pattern changes had not occurred. We suggest that this technique may provide a useful laboratory simulation of the impact that the risk of predation has on foraging behavior.

Author List

Fanselow MS, Lester LS, Helmstetter FJ

Author

Fred Helmstetter PhD Professor in the Psychology / Neuroscience department at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Appetitive Behavior
Arousal
Avoidance Learning
Electroshock
Feeding Behavior
Female
Motivation
Predatory Behavior
Rats
Rats, Inbred Strains
Reinforcement Schedule
Social Environment
Species Specificity