Spontaneous activity and food deprivation in human subjects.

Abstract

Central to the theoretical conceprualization of drive has been its assumed properties to function as an energizer to an organism (Brown, 1953; Hall, 1961; Hull, 1943). However, empirical results concerning the relationship berween drive states and spontaneous activity are inconclusive. For example, srudies by Finger (1951 ) and Hall ( 1956) employing the activity wheel as a dependent measure have obtained results indicating that activity increases with degree of deprivation. Research employing various other measuring devices and degrees of deprivation (De Vito & Smith, 1959; Hall, Hanford, 6: Low, 1960; Strong, 1957) has failed to demonstrate the hypothesized relationships between drive and activity. Both Hall ( 1961 ) and Reed (1947) have suggested that conflicting results have been primarily determined by the narure of the measuring device. An additional limitation in research has been the difficulty of obtaining humans as Ss. An exception is the research by Irwin (1932) who employed stabilimecer measures on infants to investigate changes in activity as a function of elapsed time between feedings. H e found that motor activity of infants increased as a funcrion of the hours of food deprivation. The purpose of rhis study was to investigate the relationship between food deprivation and spontaneous activiry using adult males as Ss. The study was part of a larger investigation concerned with che consequents of food deprivation.