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Dr. Terry W. Belke
B.A. (University of Alberta), M.A., Ph.D. (Harvard University) Professor Office: Crabtree 206 Telephone: (506) 364-2459 Email: tbelke@mta.ca |
Courses taught:
Psychology 1001: Introduction to Psychology I
Psychology 2121: Behavior Modification
Psychology 3151: Drugs and Behavior
Psychology 3111: Conditioning
Research interests:
My research program involves an investigation of the environmental and pharmacological factors that affect the reinforcing value of running. This line of inquiry is relevant to an understanding of phenomena such as activity-based anorexia and the putative "addictive" properties of exercise. The long term objectives of the program are:
- To investigate the properties of running as a reinforcer to determine the extent to which running shares properties with other reinforcers such as food and water.
- To investigate the interaction between motivation to eat and motivation to run.
- To investigate the pharmacological basis of the reinforcing properties of running using a conditioning paradigm. Phenomena such as activity-based anorexia and the runner's high relate to environmental and pharmacological bases of motivation to run. Understanding the reinforcing properties of running may inform treatment of human anorexias, particularly those cases involving hyperactivity. Second, understanding the pharmacological basis of the reinforcing properties of running will inform us about conditions conducive to exercise. Getting people to become more active for health reasons is the objective of several advertising campaigns. Learning more about the pharmacology underlying the rewarding effects of running may lead to more effective means to achieve the goal of these campaigns.
Recent publications:
Belke, T.W. (2010). Exclusive preference develops less readilyon concurrent ratio schedules with wheel-running than with sucrose reinforcement. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 94, 135-158.
Belke, T. W., & Pierce, W.D. (2009). Body weight manipulation, reinforcement value, and choice between sucrose and wheel-running: A behavioral exonomic analysis. Behavioural Processes, 80, 147-156.
Belke, T, W., Mandrona, A. R., Conrad, K. M., Poirier, K. F., & Pickering, K.L. (2008). Effect of light/dark cycle on wheel running and postsession feeding time. Psychological Record, 58, 391-404.
Belke, T. W., & Garland, T. Jr. (2007). A brief opportunity to run does not function as a reinforcer for mice selected for high daily wheel-running rates. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 88, 199-213.
Belke, T. W. (2007). Rats do not respond differently in the presence of stimuli signaling 
wheel-running reinforcers of different durations. Behavioural Processes, 75, 72-80.
Belke, T. W., & Christie-Fougere, M. M. (2006). Investigations of timing during the schedule and reinforcement intervals with wheel-running reinforcement. Behavioural Processes, 73, 240-24.
Belke, T. W., Pierce, W. D., & Duncan, I. D. (2006). Reinforcement value and substitutability of sucrose and wheel running: Implications for activity anorexia. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 86, 131-158.
Personal homepage: