Download Introduction to Behavioral Pharmacology

Introduction to
Behavioral Pharmacology
Defining Behavioral Pharmacology
Behavioral Pharmacology is a
specialization of behavioral science that
applies the methods and concepts of
behavior analysis to explain the
behavioral effects of drugs.
– Behavior Analysis is a unique natural
science approach to study behavior
– Popularized by B.F. Skinner
Defining Behavioral Pharmacology
Psychopharmacology vs. Behavioral
Pharmacology
– The distinction is not always clear.
– The term “psychopharmacology” was coined
a few decades before the science of behavior
analysis was developed.
Some people distinguish these specializations
based on the accepted methodology to study drug
effects. (i.e., a broader range of methods in
psychopharmacology.)
Others distinguish them based on emphasis of
research questions.
Others don’t distinguish them at all.
Science of Behavior Analysis
Environmental events are emphasized
because:
– such variables clearly influence behavior
– they are directly observable
– we have the technology to study them
– they are subject to direct manipulation
Behavior Analysis
What it is:
– a natural science emphasizing effects of
environmental variables on behavior
– concerned with behavior in its own right, not
as an indication of events at another level of
analysis
– a proven practical approach to deal with a
wide variety of behavioral problems (including
drug use and abuse)
Behavior Analysis
What it is NOT:
– S-R psychology
– unconcerned with mental events (thoughts,
emotions)
– unconcerned with genetics, physiology
– dead
Behaviorism in the Early 20th Century
Ivan Pavlov
– Respondent conditioning
– Some of Pavlov’s early work examined drug
effects on respondent conditioning.
– This work preceded the formal development of
Behavioral Pharmacology.
John Watson
– Introduced Behaviorism
– First to put forth a strong natural science
approach for psychology
– Attempted to explain behavior primarily in
terms of respondent conditioning
– Methodological Behaviorism (deals only with
publicly observable events)
Radical Behaviorism
Philosophical Position Adopted and
Promoted by B.F. Skinner
– conceptualizes behavior as involving both
public and private events
– assigns no special status to private events
– Private events (e.g., thoughts, feelings) do
not cause overt behavior:
they are stimuli that function similar to directly
observable stimuli
they are difficult to study
Science of Behavior Analysis
Emphasizes
– Antecedents, Responses, Consequences
– Contingencies of Reinforcement
Operant Behavior
– behavior modified by its consequences
Operant Conditioning
– the process of modifying some
characteristic of behavior by altering its
consequences
Experimental Analysis of Behavior
Essential features of EAB Research
JEAB (founded in 1958) continues to be an important
outlet for EAB research
Uses of EAB in Behavioral
Pharmacology
Main Assumptions
– Behavior is important in its own right.
– An intensive study of a few subjects is a fruitful
research strategy.
– Graphic analysis of data is desirable.
– Direct and repeated measures are invaluable.
– Variable data are best dealt with by isolating and
controlling responsible extraneous variables.
– Studies of nonhuman subjects under controlled
experimental conditions can be of great value to
understand variables that control human behavior.
Historical Landmarks in Behavioral Pharmacology
Research Areas in Behavioral
Pharmacology
Behavioral Loci
– what aspects of behavior are altered by the drug
(e.g., reaction time)
Behavioral Mechanisms of Action
– the stimulus functions of the drug; the effects of the
drug on the capacity of other stimuli to control
behavior
Variables that Modulate Drug’s Behavioral
Effects
– e.g., other stimuli, alternative reinforcers etc…