Association for Behavior Analysis International

Many studies over the past 15 years have investigated choice between drug and non-drug reinforcers in rats. This presentation will focus on research manipulating behavioral economic variables in this model. Recent results from a new variation of the model, wherein rats can choose between contexts where the drug and non-drug alternative are available at different prices, and the cost of switching between contexts varies, will be presented. How economy type, income, and reinforcer interactions affect the allocation of behavior between heroin or cocaine and non-drug alternatives including social reinforcement, safety from avoidance, or saccharin will be described. Appreciation of the broader behavioral economic context within which choice occurs can help understand factors that promote or reduce drug-taking behavior.

David Kearns is a professor and chair of the Psychology Department at American University.  He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rutgers University and his Ph.D. in experimental psychology from American University, where his mentor was Stan Weiss, a previous ABA-I B.F. Skinner lecturer.  His research takes a learning and behavior approach to the study of drug taking in animal models, seeking to understand those factors that promote or reduce the self-administration of drugs in rats.  His current program of research, funded by NIDA (NIH) is titled “Opioid and Psychostimulant Taking: Testing the Impact of Behavioral Economic Contexts.”