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Runway Length as a Determinant of Self-Control in Rats

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Abstract

Rats tested in a two-lane runway were given a choice between 1 (45 mg) food pellet delivered immediately upon goal box entry and 4 food pellets delivered 8 seconds after goal box entry. The smaller, but immediately available, reinforcer was preferred when the runway length was 40 cm. However, at a runway length of 240 cm, preference shifted to the larger, but more delayed, reinforcer. Results of this study are similar to those of prior investigations in which temporal distance to reward was manipulated directly.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA

    Richard Boehme, Eb Blakely & Alan Poling

Authors
  1. Richard Boehme
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  2. Eb Blakely
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  3. Alan Poling
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Additional information

Manuscript preparation was partially supported by National Institutes of Health Grant Ns 20216-01.

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Boehme, R., Blakely, E. & Poling, A. Runway Length as a Determinant of Self-Control in Rats. Psychol Rec 36, 285–288 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394946

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394946

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