Determination of the Effect of Feeding on Drinking by a Stochastic Identification Technique

TRANSFER functions and impulse responses are used by engineers as a means of describing, in a single equation, the relationship between input and output of a system. Frequency analysis, which uses sinusoidal input functions, is a classic method of determining transfer functions in physical systems, and has also been used for behavioural systems1. In the behavioural context, sinusoidal input functions are not always convenient, and the determination of the impulse response by application of a binary stimulus offers an alternative method of obtaining the same information as that gained by frequency analysis. In this report we describe a method by which the effect of feeding on drinking behaviour is assessed in terms of an impulse response. The method involves minimal interference with the natural course of behaviour, and we therefore hope that it will prove to be useful in a wide variety of behavioural situations.