PSYC 2920 Lecture 3

1. PSYC 2920Lecture 3

2. Research Design • True Experiment • Independent Variable • Manipulated event • Dependent Variable • Observed event • Experimental Research Design • Experimental Control • Within-Subject Design • Between-Subject Design

3. Research Design • Statistical Testing • Different tests are appropriate tests for different distributions or types of data (e.g. parametric vs. non-parametric tests) • Statistical sophistication is not a substitute for proper research design • Placebo Controls • Experimenter Bias • Double-blind procedure • Three-Group Design • Vehicle (placebo), experimental, and positive control groups

4. Research Design • Nonexperimental Research • Looks for a relationship between two measured events. • More often the case with human vs. non-human animal research • Care must be taken with inferring causality as data is correlational

5. The Behavioural Analysis of Drug Effects • The Study of Behavior • Behaviorism • Classical conditioning (aka respondent or Pavlovian conditioning) • Operant conditioning (aka instrumental conditioning) • Introspection • Unstructured Introspection • Systematic Introspection • Profile and Mood States (POMS) • The Addiction Research Inventory (ARCI)

6. The Behavioural Analysis of Drug Effects • Level of Arousal • One of the oldest ways of classifying drugs is by whether they increase or decrease arousal. • But of limited value • “Stimulants” or “uppers” vs. “depressants” or “downers” • Many drugs have complex and sometimes paradoxical effects on activity (e.g. alcohol has both stimulant and depressant properties) • Issues with interpretation • e.g. “downer” that also reduces anxiety may increase exploration of a novel environment

7. The Behavioural Analysis of Drug Effects • Measuring Performance in Humans • Perception • Absolute Threshold • Lowest value of stimulus detectable by an organ • Defined as being the value for which a stimulus is detected 50% of the time • Difference Thresholds • Organ Detects a change in level of stimulation • Defined as being the difference that is noticed 50% of the time

8. The Behavioural Analysis of Drug Effects • Measuring Performance in Humans • Cognitive Performance • Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) • Tests of working memory and executive function • E.g. Wisconsin card sorting task • Tests of decision making • E.g. Iowa gambling task • Motor Performance • Pursuit Rotor • Measures hand-eye coordination • Driving • Complex task that requires intact motor and cognitive performance

9. Wisconsin card sorting task

10. Computer version of pursuit rotor

11. The Behavioural Analysis of Drug Effects • Measuring Behavior in Nonhumans • Unconditioned Behavior • Anxiety or stress • Elevated plus maze • Defensive burying test • Analgesia • Paw lick latency test • Spontaneous motor activity • Conditioned Behavior • Operant Conditioning • Organism makes a response avoid or obtain a consequence • E.g. drug self-administration • Classical or Pavlovian Conditioning • Behaviour is elicited from the association of two stimuli • E.g. conditioned place preference, conditioned locomotor activity

12. Elevated Plus Maze

13. Defensive burying

14. Conditioned place preference