Self-deprivation: a test of the reward hypothesis

Self-deprivation refers to the observation that despite severe levels of water and food deprivation some rats dramatically reduce food and water intake when brain stimulation reward and the alternative reward are placed in competition. In order to determine if the rewarding properties of brain stimulation are responsible for self-deprivation, rats were implanted bilaterally with stimulating electrodes and subsequently tested for self-deprivation and preferences among various electrode locus/stimulation current combinations. According to the reward hypothesis, the relative degree of self-deprivation observed for each electrode/current pair should predict the order of preference for each combination when different electrode/current pairs are placed in competition. Likewise, across all combinations of electrodes and intensities, increasing preferences should be associated with increasing self-deprivation. The findings of the study provide support for the reward hypothesis of self-deprivation. The correlation between the self-deprivation and the preference measure was r = 0.62 (p less than 0.001), which rose to r = 0.80 (p less than 0.001) when floor and ceiling effects were taken into account. It was concluded that the rewarding aspects of brain stimulation are responsible for the self-deprivation phenomenon.