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Variety Effects and Motivated Behavior: the effects of reward flavor variety on instrumental actions in rats

Halverstadt, Brittany Ann
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0007-0469
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1491483114436135

Abstract Details

2017, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Psychology/Experimental.
Humans and animals respond to diversity in food items by increasing intake and appetitive behaviors, and this observed variety effect reflects changes in the motivational value of such rewards. Previous work on the effects of food variety has posited two main mechanisms by which these changes in motivation may come about. Variety may slow habituation processes by decreasing exposure to any one food item, or variety effects may be due to incentive contrast, whereby comparisons between items impact their relative value. The current work describes the use of an experimental paradigm with more than one level of variety, which builds on what is known about how reward variety affects motivational processes. We used three flavors of sucrose rewards to investigate rats’ responses to qualitative reward variety in four contexts: no, low, and high variety, as well as a context with no variety but a high chance of satiety. The current study also added predictive cues about impending outcomes, allowing examination of the impact of factors such as predictability, and short-term (`micro’) variety. The results of this study showed only slight variety effects on incentive contrast and relative reward processes, but several confounding factors could have obscured larger variety effects. This study provides a starting point on which other studies of qualitative reward variety could build. The results have implications for deepening our understanding of motivational processes in general, as well as for informing potential clinical approaches to motivation and eating disorders.
Howard Cromwell (Advisor)
Verner Bingman (Committee Member)
Daniel Wiegmann (Committee Member)
83 p.
Behavioral Psychology; Neurosciences; Psychology
Variety; reward; incentive contrast; dishabituation; motivation

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Halverstadt, B. A. (2017). Variety Effects and Motivated Behavior: the effects of reward flavor variety on instrumental actions in rats [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1491483114436135

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Halverstadt, Brittany. Variety Effects and Motivated Behavior: the effects of reward flavor variety on instrumental actions in rats. 2017. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1491483114436135.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Halverstadt, Brittany. "Variety Effects and Motivated Behavior: the effects of reward flavor variety on instrumental actions in rats." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1491483114436135

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1491483114436135
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© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.