A female rat, by operating a lever, causes the presentation of a potent male rat and subsequent sexual contact. The female shows contact-response latencies that vary according to the nature of the contact. Latencies after ejaculations are longer than those after intromissions, which in turn exceed those after mounts.

In the 1st of 3 experiments performed to investigate the relation between the intensity of sexual stimulation and the temporal regulation of that stimulation by estrous female rats, deposit of the vaginal plug was experimentally controlled. Females showed shorter response intervals after ejaculations when plug deposit was prevented than when it was not. In Experiment 2 females' vaginas and perineal regions were treated with an anesthetic. Response intervals following all 3 types of sexual contact were less during anesthetic sessions than during control sessions. In Experiment 3 females were serviced by males who could not effect intromission. Under these conditions females exhibited relatively short contact-response intervals throughout 1-hr, testing sessions.

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Male rats copulated through 2 Ejaculatory Series under 3 conditions: ad lib., or normal, uninterrupted intercourse; single enforced interval, in which the copulating pair was separated for a period of time after either the 1st or 4th intromission of each Series; and multiple enforced intervals, in which the animals were separated following every intromission. 1st Series intromission frequencies in single and multiple enforced interval sessions decreased with increases in duration of enforced interval. Mount frequencies, intercopulatory intervals, and postejaculatory intervals all decreased under enforced interval conditions, but were relatively unaffected by the interval duration.

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