Operant regulation of feeding: a static analysis.

Cyclic-ratio schedules are a rapid method for studying the operant regulation of feeding rate. The cyclic method produces results comparable to traditional but time-consuming parametric methods. Performance on cyclic-ratio schedules is well described by a linear regulatory model that embodies three quantitative feedback assumptions: (a) that rate of feeding is regulated by the rate of operant behavior, (b) that taste factors have an additive effect on the rate of the operant response, and (c) that regulatory "gain" is inversely related to body weight. This model accurately describes poorer regulatory performance at high body weights and following amphetamine administration, and the effects of altered diet palatability on preferred feeding rates.