Shock Facilitation and Suppression of Alcohol- and Coke-Maintained Behavior

Abstract

3 long-term alcoholic patients were introduced to concurrent FR30_coke FR30_alcohol (30 responses on one manipulandum followed by coke reinforcement, 30 on the other followed by liquor), allowed to stabilize in responding for their preferred reinforcer, then exposed to shock of low intensity contingent on each reinforced response. The shock schedule was accompanied by a distinctive S^D (response-contingent red light flash). Shock intensity was increased after every one or two sessions until the subject switched to the other available manipulandum (and reinforcer). Two of three subjects showed increasing rates of response (conditioned reinforcement) correlated with increasing shock intensities, followed by the reverse (suppression) prior to a switch to the other manipulandum. One subject showed only shock suppression over a narrow range of intensities. Later introduction of the S^D for shock (red light) was sufficient on most occasions to facilitate a switch prior to shock. Four such reversals were accomplished in each subject.