In this paper we show that a phenomenon in animal learning theory (the outcome devaluation effect) for which there is dispute over whether explicit representations and symbolic reasoning is required for its performance, does not require such things. This is done using a reactive motivational model, previously inspired from ethological thought, to which some simple reinforcement learning rules are attached. An instantation of the model is used as the control system of an animat in a spatial computer simulation and it succeeds in learning the necessary parameters to allow the behaviour sequencing system to exhibit the phenomenon.