STIMULUS HUNGER - INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN OPERANT STRATEGY IN A BUTTON-PRESSING TASK

In a free operant situation, where four different sound reinforcements could be obtained to reduce mild sensory deprivation, extraverts maintained a higher response rate than introverts and made more changes among stimulation sources but without obtaining a higher total duration of sound stimulation. There was no difference for stimulus preference between the personality groups; but both groups showed greatest preference for a 30 db white noise reinforcement as opposed to three variants of a 60 db 4,000 Hz tone. The results of earlier studies are interpreted in the light of these findings and the difficulties of providing direct experimental measures of stimulus hunger" and sensory reinforcement are also considered. Eysenck's (1967) model of the neurophysiological substrates of extraversion-introversion is extended to account for 'stimulus hunger". © 1969."