A SALINE PREFERENCE IN RATS DETERMINED BY CONTINGENT LICKING.

The albino rat's preference for .1 molar NaCl solution when paired with distilled water was measured using a lick contingent method. The method precluded position bias and revealed some fluid-deprivation influences in the resulting measured preference. Rats were trained to lick at a drinking tube containing water in order to obtain another tube containing the saline solution, under several levels of water deprivation. When tube contents were varied, the patterns of licking varied concurrently. Preference data was collected at low levels of fluid deprivation. It was shown that the saline solution was the primary controlling stimulus.