INSTRUCTIONS CONTROL WHETHER NICOTINE WILL SERVE AS A REINFORCER
- 1 January 1985
- journal article
- research article
- Vol. 235 (1), 106-112
Abstract
Three studies examined self-administration of nicotine among exsmokers given concurrent access to nicotine (2 mg) and placebo gums during the first 2 weeks of abstinence from smoking. In Study 1 subjects were told they would receive either nicotine or placebo gum. With this instructional set, nicotine served as a reinforcer; i.e., subjects consistently self-administered nicotine but not placebo gum. However, subjects could discriminate gums on the basis of side-effects; thus, the ability of nicotine to serve as a reinforcer may have been due, not to its psychoactive effects, but rather because subjects believed the gum with more side-effects to be the active gum. In Study 2 we attempted to change this belief by telling subjects they would receive either the marketed nicotine gum or a new nicotine gum that is as effective as the marketed gum but has less side-effects (i.e., placebo). In Study 3 we attempted to change the belief by telling subjects that placebo gum had more side-effects than nicotine gum. With these two instructional sets, the stimulus properties of nicotine did not serve as reinforcer; i.e., subjects self-administered equal amounts of nicotine and placebo gums. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that instructions can control whether a drug will serve as a reinforcer.This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit:
- Randomised controlled trial of nicotine chewing-gum.BMJ, 1982
- Persistent Behavior at High Rates Maintained by Intravenous Self-Administration of NicotineScience, 1981
- Double-blind Evaluation of Reinforcing and Anorectic Actions of Weight Control MedicationsArchives of General Psychiatry, 1980
- The use of nicotine chewing gum as an aid to stopping smokingPsychopharmacology, 1980
- Nicotine and schedule-induced drinking in ratsPharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 1978
- A carbon monoxide analyzer for measurement of smoking behaviorBehavior Therapy, 1978
- RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANORECTIC AND REINFORCING PROPERTIES OF APPETITE SUPPRESSANT DRUGS - IMPLICATIONS FOR ASSESSMENT OF ABUSE LIABILITY1978
- Self administration of nicotine with and without a food delivery schedulePharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 1977
- DOSE PREFERENCE DURING PENTOBARBITAL SELF-ADMINISTRATION BY HUMANS1977
- Evaluation of Drug Efficacy by a Preference TechnicNew England Journal of Medicine, 1966