Psychology ETDs

Publication Date

5-2-1972

Abstract

The role of "drug-behavior-reinforcement interactions" in differential learning effects found under amphetamine was assessed in the present experiment. A "drug-behavior-reinforcement interaction" was said to occur when a drug affected the relationship of ongoing behavior and existing reinforcement contingencies. In this fashion, different sets of behavioral patterns would be subjected to the process of reinforcement and/or non-reinforcement than would occur under non-drug conditions. If the drug conditions were changed, these behavioral patterns would be retained and would differ from those patterns produced if acquisition had occurred solely under non-drug conditions. Rats were given varying amounts of acquisition training on a response duration differentiation task under non-drug conditions before being trained under amphetamine. Drugged groups were subsequently tested under non-drug conditions to see what differential learning effects were produced by the acquisition conditions. Training under amphetamine significantly enhanced performance wider both drug conditions and subsequent non-drug conditions. However, if training under non-drug conditions occurred before the drug training, this enhancement was significantly attenuated. Not all components of differentiation behavior were facilitated by amphetamine training; only those components in which the direct actions of the drug led to an increase in reinforcement density were enhanced in the non-drug state. The results of this study were interpreted as supporting a "drug­behavior-reinforcement interaction" process and were discussed in relation to differential learning effects attributed to a "stimulus generalization decrement" mechanism.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Douglas Peter Ferraro

Second Committee Member

G. Robert Grice

Third Committee Member

John Paul Gluck Jr.

Fourth Committee Member

Thomas Patrick Friden

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

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