PUNISHMENT OF RESPONDING UNDER SCHEDULES OF STIMULUS‐SHOCK TERMINATION: EFFECTS OF d‐AMPHETAMINE AND PENTOBARBITAL¹

Abstract

Responding maintained in squirrel monkeys under 5-min fixed-interval schedules of either food presentation or termination of a visual stimulus associated with electric-shock delivery was suppressed by presenting an electric shock for every thirtieth response (punishment). In monkeys responding under the schedule of food presentation, d-amphetamine sulfate only further decreased punished responding, and pentobarbital sodium markedly increased punished responding, as expected from previous reports. In monkeys responding under the schedule of stimulus-shock termination, however, the effects of the two drugs were opposite: d-amphetamine markedly increased punished responding, whereas pentobarbital only decreased responding. Thus, the effects of these drugs on punished responding were different depending on the type of event maintaining responding. These and previous results indicate that it may be misleading and inaccurate to speak of the effects of drugs on "punished responding" as though punishment were a unitary phenomenon. As with any behavior, the effects of drugs and other interventions on punished responding cannot be accurately characterized independently of the precise conditions under which the behavior occurs.

Effects of chronically administered d-amphetamine on spaced responding maintained under multiple and single-component schedules

“…Whenever the concept of "response cost" is to be used, it should always be understood in terms of total "cost." Previous experiments have already shown that global, or contextual, factors can influence the effects of acutely administered drugs (McKearney and Barrett 1975;McKearney 1976). Similar considerations for the effects of chronically administered drugs underscore the ubiquitous importance of behavioral processes themselves in determining the behavioral effects of drugs.…”

Evaluation of the “Pipeline” for Development of Medications for Cocaine Use Disorder: A Review of Translational Preclinical, Human Laboratory, and Clinical Trial Research

“…It also interesting to speculate that the use of a liquid versus solid food reinforcer may have affected results. Although the difference in the effects of solid versus liquid food reinforcement per se has not been examined, it is a fundamental tenet of behavioral pharmacology that the effects of drugs on behavior can vary according to the stimulus that maintains that behavior (e.g., McKearney, 1976;Barrett, 1976).…”

Behavioral History as a Determinant of the Effects of d -Amphetamine on Punished Behavior

“…These results are similar to those of earlier research th4t demonstrated increases with amphetamine in responding that is both maintained by food and is also punished when responding is being maintained under other conditions by shock postponement or by the presentation of shock (3,9). Amphetamine has also been shown to increase punished responding maintained by the termination'of a stock-associated stimulus (10). Together, these findings suggest that the total environmental context, the event that maintains responding, and the organism's behavioral history are significant factors in determining behavioral changes produced by drugs.…”