A parametric description of amphetamine's effect on response rate: changes in reinforcement efficacy and response topography

Abstract

A mathematical model was used to describe the effects of amphetamine on the rate of a reinforced response in the rat. The model provides measures of reinforcement efficacy and response topography for behavior maintained by variable-interval reinforcement schedules. In this study the measured behavior was a lever press, the reinforcer was water, and the variable-interval schedules provided five different rates of reinforcement, ranging from about 20 to 660/h. In each session the rats were exposed to each of the five schedules, and as reinforcement rate increased, the rate of lever pressing increased in a negatively accelerated manner that was closely approximated by the equation for a rectangular hyperbola. Amphetamine changed responser rate and the parameters of the best-fitting hyperbolas. The 0.25–1.0-mg/kg doses increased response rate, and the parameter changes supported the interpretation that the increases were due primarily to an increase in reinforcement efficacy. The 2.0- and 3.0-mg/kg doses decreased response rates maintained by low reinforcement rates and increased response rates maintained by high reinforcement rates, and the parameter changes supported the interpretation that at higher doses amphetamine produced counteracting changes in reinforcement efficacy and response topography: reinforcement efficacy decreased, whereas response topography changed so as to increase response rates.