Abstract
Two rats lived in experimental chambers with continuous access to free food. Leverpressing was reinforced with food on various ratio schedules. Both rats maintained leverpressing under these conditions for several months; however, leverpressing was not an increasing function of the ratio, as previously found for rats in continuous sessions without alternative food. Instead, the function was nonmonotonic or decreasing, and the proportion of food obtained by leverpressing decreased continuously as the ratio increased. These findings are consistent with an economic analysis of the elasticity of demand.
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Rutter, S., Nevin, J.A. Long-term contrafreeloading in rats during continuous sessions. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 28, 556–558 (1990). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334080
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03334080