EFFECTS ON SEXUAL CONDITIONING OF DEVALUING THE US THROUGH SATIATION

Male Japanese quail were conditioned to approach a visual CS that pred icted an opportunity to copulate with a female quail, Subsequently the subjects were tested in both non-reinforced and reinforced test trial s while sexually satiated and sexually deprived. In the satiation cond ition the sexual US was devalued by allowing the male subjects to copu late repeatedly with female birds just prior to testing; in the depriv ation condition, the males were not allowed to copulate for a day prio r to testing. The subjects displayed significantly less approach to th e CS when sexually satiated than when sexually deprived. These results are compatible with a mechanism in which performance of Pavlovian sex ual approach conditioning is mediated by activation of a memorial repr esentation of the US.