Date of Award

1974

Degree Name

Psychology

College

College of Liberal Arts

Type of Degree

M.A.

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Introduction

  • The study investigates state-dependent (SD) learning, where performance is influenced by the drug state during learning.
  • Caffeine, a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, is the focus, with high doses administered to subjects.
  • The research aims to determine if caffeine can serve as a discriminative stimulus in a T-maze shock escape task.

Method

  • Subjects: 20 naive male albino rats, selected based on activity levels.
  • Experimental design involved two groups: one receiving caffeine and the other saline.
  • The T-maze apparatus was used for training and testing, with specific dimensions and shock delivery mechanisms.

Procedure

  • A 30-minute free exploration period was conducted before learning sessions.
  • Each learning session consisted of ten trials over 30 consecutive days.
  • The correct goal box alternated daily, and the correction method was employed to ensure learning.

Results

  • Cumulative correct responses were analyzed, showing negligible differences between groups on trials two through ten.
  • Experimental subjects performed significantly better on odd-numbered saline days compared to even-numbered caffeine days.
  • Statistical analysis indicated significant differences favoring control subjects on drug days.

Summary

  • Caffeine was hypothesized to aid in learning but resulted in poorer performance on drug days.
  • Control subjects maintained consistent performance, while experimental subjects showed significant variability.
  • The study contributes to understanding the complexities of state-dependent learning and the effects of CNS stimulants.

Subject(s)

Consciousness - Physiological aspects.

Chemicals - Health aspects.

Learning -- Physiological aspects.

Caffeine -- Physiological effect

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