The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, October 02, 1980, Image 5

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    X Y
Local
:;Rats play consumer roles
he drove;
one for V,
1 the car By BOBBY SWANSON
Travel,- Battalion Reporter
pHow goes the rat race” may soon
vasbefi, © more than a cliche.
HVo Texas A&M University eco-
buy theA 1 ' 5 ^ bnve been testing consumer
■pries on rats for eight years and
rave found the animals economic be-
eecont| iav * or to s * m ^ ar to that of hu-
nans.
he found V r< ^ a y Battalio and Dr. John
^ U j (H , [agel said many economists ques-
luesi ‘ oni ^ use the animals to test
u luman aspects of work, pay and
pending.
IronsanB^ ome cven laughed,” Battalio
aid. “But no one is laughing now. ”
ii ( a, ' ia ‘r Th(' pair said they are now praised
»'rwhatlit their colleagues and covered by
>Ce I® national media. Fortune maga-
, fee will include their work in an
full set ipcoming issue.
They said their animal research in
Atomics is an important screening
■dee for future human experi-
nents.
J KAnimal research can suggest the
Has of research which might he
vorthwhile with people,” Battalio
B. “Given limited resources, it is
Ii trobably better to spend a nickel on
S ats than a dollar on humans, espe-
_ Hly since human experiments are
■ ©[expensive to conduct.”
* ar ? r ^® atta h° and Kagel said their eco-
each rAic rats must work for a living and
areas -(Tg p a j t ] f or the work they do. There
oduced* tl ra t s j n separate houses, which
■■sound insulated to eliminate dis-
cernec ra( .tj oni
altering,Bhe ra ts must press levers as work.
; t y L ‘ arir flu number of times required to get
es forn| ood or wa t er i s p a y Hie rats decide
mmen jow they will spend their pay as they
csdayj vitk.
°f M^ kthe rat houses are monitored by
and ii tfniputers that record the amount
mtury, md selection of work each rat per-
i Tho^onns.
eongu^WLike consumers, when we raise
;ain.\'dhe prices, rats buy less,” Kagel said,
ptoms ■hen the price for food is increased
ate has® water is decreased, they eat less
000pcoPuul d r j n k more,” Kagel said.
>00 peo[#k n earlier study done by the two
.hedw howed ra ts prefer root beer to wa-
00,001 er. When water is free and root beer
ame pe , 'l'
. co-auM
nth Peaf
lax attif
; it to ref 1
IkEntries are being accepted
jathy nfthfough Nov. 3 for the fifth annual
moved ITHomas F. Mayo Price Essay Con-
m care t-test.
is said. #A $100 prize will be awarded to
se is goWme winner.
t of netfHlhe contest is sponsored by the
Inited ' English Department and open to
Dr. Ray Battalio (left) and Dr. John Kagel,
both Texas A&M economics professors, ex
amine one of the rats being used in their study
of the consumer behavior of rats. After eight
Photo by Bobby Swanson
years of study, they have found that rats
“work,” “earn” and “spend” much like hu
mans.
has to be earned, the rats would work
to get the luxury item, Battalio said.
The rats also got greedy. They
wanted the root beer until it cost too
much, and then they began to drink
water again, he said.
The economists have tested the
effects of “welfare” on the distribu
tion of income among rats. Kagel
said rats given unearned rewards
tend to work less.
This appears to be consistent
with observations and conjectures of
some economies about the welfare
states evolving in some Western eco
nomies,” Kagel said.
“Some people laugh at us for doing
experimental economic research
with rats,” said Kagel. “Sometimes
we get emotional responses, but
basically we are well received in the
scientific community.”
Nov. 3 set as Mayo essay contest deadline
Caddyshack
The Bandit. Frog and Justice are at it ogam
in the all new adventures of...
students enrolled in English 103, Rhodes Scholar, died in 1954.
104 or 10411. Essays are limited to 750 words
1 he prize is given in memory of and must be written in response to a
*7:20
* 9:40
Mayo, who was the head of Texas
A&M s English Department from
1944-52 and longtime college libra
rian. Mayo, who taught William
Faulkner in high school and was a
;lass assignment in either of the
three courses. They will judged on
originality, fluency, vividness, orga
nization and mechanics, as well as
thoughtfulness of treatment.
ivailablel
i personf
lerculinl
mass sen
; (Iroppcj
really nij
the real]
test) is 4
people,!
) the e|
Dsium i
igofpaif
‘.special]
igrantsf
is is pi
beast V.
and Catf
Cape Vi
rate
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THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2. 1980
Page 5
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Call 696-7313 for information.
IN THE
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