Abstract
The study investigated two aspects of food deprivation—maintenance schedule and current deprivation—in their effects on both speed and accuracy measures of learning. Male rats were assigned to 3 groups. High-High Ss were maintained at 22 hr. deprivation and trained 22 hr. after food removal. High-Low Ss were maintained at 22 hr. deprivation and trained 6 hr. after food removal. Low-Low Ss were maintained at 6 hr. deprivation and trained 6 hr. after food removal. The apparatus was a four-choice-point elevated T-maze. Food was presented following the final correct choice on each trial. After 10 training trials, all Ss were shifted to a 14-hr. maintenance schedule and 10 days later were given a single test trial. On both speed and accuracy measures for both the last training trial and the post-shift test-trial, the performance of the Low-Low group was significantly inferior to that of the two High groups while those groups did not differ from one another.