Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Our laboratory has recently developed an apparatus that utilizes an operant response paradigm to allow for quantification of sexual motivation.In order to fully understand sexual motivation, social components of interaction between animals must also be taken into account.The experiment presented here uses a within-subjects design to compare the social and sexual motivation of a group of female rats by comparing operant responding for a sexual versus a social partner (i.e., an intact versus a castrated male, respectively).The findings suggest that while the current measure of motivation (i.e., nose pokes per door opening) was not different between the castrated and intact males, the number of responses in the active hole and the number of door openings was significantly higher with the intact male thus suggesting higher motivation to obtain access to a sexual partner.
Author: Kristin Kops
Language: English
Subfield: Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W151040787