FREEMAN, W. J. 
AN INCONCLUSIVE EXPERIMENT INVOLVING 
STIMULATION 
Let us now look at a second experiment which also failed and 
inquire as to the reason. This experiment was derived from the one 
preceding, in which the prepyriform electrical field was localized. 
We became curious as to what its relationship to behavior might be, 
and we found that there was a variety of correlations with behavior 
involving sensory stimulation, learning, motivation, and so forth. 
The particular aspect of interest here is the fact that the amplitude 
of this electrical activity was correlated with the rate of work done 
by cats in pursuit of a goal object, in this case, canned milk. 
The electrical activity recorded from the structure is shown in 
Figure 5. It consistedof a series of bursts synchronous with respir- 
ation, which is of interest in view of Dr. Kawamura's findings. We 
determined the frequency and spatial distribution and the amplitude 
of this signal in order to find out what its parameter of change might 
be in relation to behavior, and found that the dominant parameter 
is amplitude, irrespective of the prevailing frequency and spatial 
distributions. Average amplitude was determined by rectifying and 
filtering the signal and measuring the surface area under this re- 
sulting curve (Fig. 5) graphically, or electronically as a matter of 
convenience and accuracy. As far as behavior was concerned, the 
animal waited in a starting box until the door was opened and then 
approached the m Jk and started lapping. It was this work period in 
which we were particularly interested. The work was measured by 
harnessing the animal after attaching the harness to a rope which 
pulled on a strain gauge. This rope then passed around a winch which 
rotated continuously. Whenever the animal was resting, there was 
no tension on the rope, and there was no rope paid out. As soon as 
the animal pulled, the rope tightened up on the winch; the winch 
pulled it through a friction drag and the animal was permitted to 
pull to reach the goal. It did not have to pull very hard in order to 
get there at a constant rate (the rate being determined by the winch), 
but the cats never seemed to learn; they always pulled harder than 
they needed to, and the hungrier they got, the harder they pulled. 
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