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Changing Lick Rate of Rats by Manipulating Deprivation and Type of Solution

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Abstract

3 experiments examined the effects of deprivation level, sodium saccharin concentration, and sucrose concentration on uninterrupted bursts of licking in adult male albino rats. All dipsogenic treatments produced statistically significant changes in lick rate. The findings are viewed as challenging the hypothesized invariance of mammalian lick rates and as offering an improved measure for the study of drinking behavior in mammals.

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Drs. Al and Donna Cone, and Robert Wells are now at Lynchburg Training School and Hospital, Lynchburg, VA.

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Cone, A.L., Wells, R., Goodson, L. et al. Changing Lick Rate of Rats by Manipulating Deprivation and Type of Solution. Psychol Rec 25, 491–498 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394341

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394341

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