| Abstract: | Key pecking of two pigeons was maintained under a multiple schedule of food presentation. In the presence of one keylight stimulus responding produced food according to a fixed-interval 5-min schedule. Additionally, during this component, each 50th response produced electric shock. When a different keylight stimulus was present, key pecking resulted in food delivery under a variable-interval 3-min schedule. Responding was suppressed by shock presentation (punishment) but was still positively accelerated throughout each fixed-interval cycle; steady response rates occurred during the alternate component when only the variable-interval schedule was in effect. Overall rates of punished responding were largely unchanged with d-amphetamine (0.1-3.0 mg/kg); unpunished responding was generally either increased slightly or was decreased. Pentobarbital and chlordiazepoxide (1.0-17.0 mg/kg) administered alone increased both punished and unpunished responding at most doses. Combinations of d-amphetamine with either pentobarbital or chlordiazepoxide produced increases in punished responding that exceeded those obtained with either of these drugs alone. The combined effects of d-amphetamine and either pentobarbital or chlordiazepoxide on unpunished responding depended on the individual dose combinations. Combinations of d-amphetamine with pentobarbital or chlordiazepoxide produced effects on both punished and unpunished responding that differed substantially from those obtained when any of these drugs were administered separately. |
