Guest Lecturer 2

Question 1

Compare and contrast natural vs. drug reinforcers.

Answer 1

Natural reinforcers like food and sex elevate dopamine levels, but drug reinforcers REALLY elevate dopamine levels. They both raise dopamine levels, but naturals are needed for survival and propagation of the species

Question 2

Compare and contrast positive and negative reinforcement, and how can you make a animal model for each?

Answer 2

Positive reinforcement makes you wanna do it again, negative the opposite. For animal models, you can self-administer morphine which is positive and then do a foot shock with morphine to see where their breakpoint is

Question 3

What is the breakpoint?

Answer 3

Where you will stop doing work to receive the rewarding effects of the drug

Question 4

Compare and contrast reward vs reinforcement.

Answer 4

Reward is positive, but reinforcement can be both positive or negative

Question 5

What do the experiments regarding nicotine-induced enhancement of alcohol-seeking behavior say?

Answer 5

1) nicotine increases the impact of excitatory inputs onto the VTA cause it lowers the threshold
2) it affects phasic dopamine function
3) will make alcohol more rewarding
4) does not affect tonic activity of dopamine