Will d-amphetamine’s effect on impulsive choice be consistent when the environmental context changes by using decreasing delays to reinforcement?

Author

Elizabeth M. Janeiro, West Virginia UniversityFollow
Jenny E. Ozga, West Virginia UniversityFollow
Karen G. Anderson, West Virginia UniversityFollow

Periodical Title

Modern Psychological Studies

Volume

23

Number

2

Department

Dept. of Psychology

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Date

2018

Abstract

Impulsivity (choosing a smaller, more immediate reward over a larger, more delayed reward) and substance abuse are positively correlated. It is important to understand how factors like delay to reward and drug effects determine impulsive choice, which can be studied using animal models. This study evaluated impulsive choice in rats, where delays to the larger reward (three food pellets) were presented in decreasing order versus one food pellet delivered immediately. Then, effects of d-amphetamine were assessed. It was found that in three of four rats, d-amphetamine increased impulsive choice when the larger option was presented with decreasing delays. This effect is contrary to what has generally been found with increasing delays. Thus, environmental context can influence drug effects on impulsive choice.

Subject

Psychology

Keyword

d-Amphetamine; Impulsivity; Choice; Delay Discounting; Delay Order; Rat; Self-control

Discipline

Psychology

Document Type

article

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/

Recommended Citation

Janeiro, Elizabeth M.; Ozga, Jenny E.; and Anderson, Karen G. (2018) "Will d-amphetamine’s effect on impulsive choice be consistent when the environmental context changes by using decreasing delays to reinforcement?," Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 23: No. 2, Article 5.
Available at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol23/iss2/5