Eating behavior: Variables in common across conditioning and motivation

Abstract

The present paper argues for the systematization of the established knowledge on eating behavior in Conditioning and in Motivation on the basis of the quantitative contiguities between some of its controlling variables. A variable in common to both types of study is the temporal distribution of periods with and without access to food. Two doctoral theses illustrate this approach. In the first, the “natural” distribution of eating in rats with unrestricted access to food was determined over 24-hour periods and afterwards such distribution was deliberately distorted. Lengthening the periods without access and shortening the periods with access increased food consumption. In the second thesis the duration of the periods without access before and after each fixed access period were varied, also over 24-hour periods. Long periods without access before eating increased food consumption but varying the duration of the periods without food after eating had no systematic effects. It was concluded that this approach may bridge the gap between the established knowledge on eating in Conditioning and in Motivation.