Abstract
In Experiment I, hungry rats first received 10 pellets of either 4% or 16% sucrose, and later received one pellet of the same concentration as before. Control subjects received one pellet of either 16% or 4% throughout. A significant negative contrast effect was obtained with both concentrations. In Experiment II, three groups received four pellets of either 4%, 8%, or 16% sucrose concentration before receiving the same number of pellets of 8% concentration. Neither a positive nor a negative contrast effect was found. The results were discussed in terms of both the frustration and generalization-decrement hypotheses.
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This research was supported in part by Faculty Research Grant NSF-GU-3230.
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Shanab, M.E., France, J. & Young, T. Negative contrast effect obtained with downshifts in magnitude but not concentration of solid sucrose reward. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 5, 429–432 (1975). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333290
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03333290