Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-1980

Abstract

Pigeons acquired a different four‐response chain each session by responding sequentially on three keys in the presence of four colors. When the fixed‐ratio requirement for food presentation was five completions of the chain, d‐amphetamine and cocaine disrupted the behavior. As the dose of each drug was increased, the overall response rate decreased, the overall accuracy was impaired (i.e., percent errors increased), and there was less within‐session error reduction (acquisition). In contrast, when the fixed‐ratio requirement was either 20 or 50 completions of the chain, certain doses of both drugs produced large increases in the overall response rate by eliminating the extended pausing (ratio strain) that was characteristic of the control sessions. These rate‐increasing effects were accompanied by error‐decreasing effects, both during acquisition and after the response chain had been acquired. Taken together, the results show that the effects of d‐amphetamine and cocaine on behavior in a repeated‐acquisition task can be modulated by manipulating the value of the fixed‐ratio schedule maintaining the behavior. 1980 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

First Page

141

Last Page

148

Download

Share

COinS