The effectiveness of food and of water as reinforcers was compared using 2 groups of 4 rats each that were deprived of both food and water. Running time to water was significantly greater than that to food (P < .001). When all rats were reinforced with food, this difference in running times disappeared. As running time to water increased as a function of days of training (P < .05), it was suggested that performance for water reflected extinction, an aversion to water or both. The results suggested that hunger and thirst might be manipulated independently over some of their ranges. Implications of these results for drive summation studies were discussed.
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