Motivated behaviors produced by increased arousal in the presence of goal objects

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Abstract

Low doses of sodium pentobarbital injected i.p. in satiated rats increased wet mash intake to approximately the level of a 24 hr food deprived animal. Intakes of quinine adulterated mash and a nonnutritive bulk substance were similar for the pentobarbital injected animals and for 24 hr food deprived animals. Further tests demonstrated that the drug potentiates pain-elicited aggression, but has no effect on running in an activity wheel. These data are incorporated in an hypothesis that increased arousal in the presence of a goal object is sufficient to elicit the consummatory response appropriate to that goal object.

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    The authors wish to thank Eric Holman, John Liebeskind and Dennis McGinty for their assistance in various phases of this study.

    2

    National Science Foundation graduate trainee.

    3

    United States Public Health Service graduate trainee. Present address: Department of Psychobiology, University of California at Irvine.

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