  Theoretical analysis of own and literature investigations of sexual
motivation with the use of the partition test [Kudryavtseva, 1987, 1994] in
male mice was carried out. It has been shown that appearance of a receptive
female in the neighboring compartment of common cage separated by perforated
transparent partition produces the enhancement of testosterone level in blood
and stimulates the behavioral activity near partition as a reaction to the
receptive female in naive males. In many studies this behavioral activity is
considered as sexual motivation, arising in this experimental context in male
mice. The lack of correlation between behavioral parameters and gonad reaction
of males on receptive female, uninterconnected changes of these two parameters
as well as the lack of sexual behavior between naive male and female when
partition is removed cast doubt on this data interpretation. It has been
supposed that in naive males behavioral reaction to a receptive female is
induced by positive incentive - odor of the female associated with nursing and
warmth from mother and other females which look after posterity. Short-term
increase of the level of testosterone (possessing rewarding properties) is
innate stimulus-response reaction which stimulates and prolongs behavioral
interest of male to receptive female. It has been supposed that after sexual
experience female odor is associated in experienced males with sexual behavior
directed to the sexual partner and resulted in the formation of sexual
motivation. The data are considered also in the light of the theory of
motivated behavior including "liking", "wanting" and "learning" [Robinson and
Berridge, 1993, 2000].
