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The Effects of Depressant and Stimulant Drugs on the Relationship between Reaction Time and Stimulus Light Intensity
Author(s) -
COSTELLO C. G.
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
british journal of social and clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.479
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8260
pISSN - 0007-1293
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8260.1964.tb00396.x
Subject(s) - meprobamate , amphetamine , stimulus (psychology) , placebo , psychology , stimulant , depressant , anesthesia , chemistry , audiology , neuroscience , psychiatry , medicine , dopamine , cognitive psychology , alternative medicine , pathology
A paradoxical increase in RT with increase in visual stimulus intensity has been found by previous workers using schizophrenic S s. Their results had been interpreted in terms of Pavlovian theory. It was predicted on the basis of Pavlovian theory and previous results with schizophrenic S s that both 10 mg D‐amphetamine sulphate by increasing the normal S s level of excitation and 194 mg sodium seconal by decreasing his level of excitation would result in the paradoxical increase in RT with an increase in stimulus intensity. Five groups of eight S s each were tested after administration of one of the following treatments: 10 mg D‐amphetamine sulphate; 194 mg sodium seconal; 800 mg meprobamate; placebo tablets; no drug. Their RTs to lights of eight intensities increasing from 16 ft candles to 1500 ft candles were determined. The predictions were not confirmed. The sodium seconal, meprobamate and placebo groups produced RTs significantly different from those of the D‐amphetamine and no drug groups which did not differ in their mean RTs. Implications of the results in terms of the difference between cortical and subcortical excitation are discussed.