Abstract
The experiment compared the effects of a known hallucinogenic agent, mescaline, and a compound found in the urine of schizophrenics, 3,4-dimethoxyphenylethylamine, on a classically conditioned behavior, the potentiated startle response in rats. The results indicated that both compounds are excitatory in terms of the behavioral parameters investigated. It was noted that in previous research using instrumentally conditioned behavior both compounds have proven to be inhibitory. The present experiment also investigated the effects of a known stimulant, d-amphetamine which also proved to have an excitatory effect. However, it was noted that this compound also has an excitatory effect on instrumentally conditioned behavior. It was suggested that instrumentally and classically conditioned behaviors are fundamentally different forms of behavior, perhaps mediated by different parts of the nervous system, and that drug effects may be dependent upon the form of behavior used in the investigation.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
