Intracranial Reinforcement Compared with Sugar-Water Reinforcement

• DOI: 10.1126/science.148.3675.1357
• Publication Date: 2006-10-05T10:04:55Z
• Authors: William E. Gibson; Larry D. Reid; Makoto Sakai; Paul B. Porter
• Keywords: Electrophysiology; Research; Carbohydrates; Brain; Reinforcement, Psychology; Electric Stimulation; Psychophysiology; Rats

Three ways in which electrical, intracranial reinforcement is reputed to differ from conventional reinforcement were tested in an experiment which equated the form of the responses being reinforced and the response-reinforcement relation. Four groups of rats performed instrumental or consummatory responses reinforced by intracranial reinforcement or sugar. In no comparison did the kind of reinforcement produce a difference, but in every comparison the kind of response reinforced did produce a difference. It is inferred that reputed differences between intracranial reinforcement and conventional reinforcement are artifacts.