AN AUTOMATIC FOOD DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR OPERANT TRAINING OF MICE

We describe an adjustable food delivery system that cuts and delivers calibrated pieces of spaghetti to be used as reinforcers to train mice in an appetitive bar-pressing task. The food delivery is computer-con trolled. Uneaten reinforcers are detected and removed automatically. O ne main advantage of this system is the ability to adjust reinforcer s ize to as small as 3 mg. A second advantage is that small reinforcers effectively prevent the rapid satiation usually observed with commerci al products designed for rats, and allow for the expression of high be havioral output. Finally, the use of these dustless reinforcers drasti cally reduces the incidence of blockage, a common occurrence with comm ercial products using pellets. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.