Effects of smoking different doses of nicotine on human aggressive behavior. 1981

D R Cherek

A new methodology was employed to study the effects of drugs on human aggressive behavior in a laboratory situation. The effects of not smoking, smoking a low nicotine dose (0.42 mg/cigarette), and smoking a high nicotine dose (2.19 mg/cigarette) on human nonaggressive and aggressive responding was determined. A nonaggressive response, which resulted in the accumulation of money, was continuously available to the subject. Two different aggressive responses were also available: the ostensible subtraction of money from, and the ostensible presentation of a 1-s blast of white noise to a (fictitious) person. Aggressive responding was elicited by subtracting money from the research subjects, which was attributed to a fictitious person paired with the research subject randomly each day. Nicotine, administered with experimental cigarettes, produced dose-dependent decrease in both types of aggressive responding elicited by low or high frequency subtractions of money attributed to another person. Generally, the more aggressive response option, i.e., subtraction of money from another person, decreased more following nicotine administration. Smoking the same doses of nicotine increased nonaggressive monetary reinforced responding. This indicates that the suppressant effects of nicotine on aggressive responding was not due to a non-specific depressant action.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D009538 Nicotine Nicotine is highly toxic alkaloid. It is the prototypical agonist at nicotinic cholinergic receptors where it dramatically stimulates neurons and ultimately blocks synaptic transmission. Nicotine is also important medically because of its presence in tobacco smoke. Nicotine Bitartrate,Nicotine Tartrate
D004305 Dose-Response Relationship, Drug The relationship between the dose of an administered drug and the response of the organism to the drug. Dose Response Relationship, Drug,Dose-Response Relationships, Drug,Drug Dose-Response Relationship,Drug Dose-Response Relationships,Relationship, Drug Dose-Response,Relationships, Drug Dose-Response
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000374 Aggression Behavior which may be manifested by destructive and attacking action which is verbal or physical, by covert attitudes of hostility or by obstructionism. Aggressions
D012907 Smoking Willful or deliberate act of inhaling and exhaling SMOKE from burning substances or agents held by hand. Smoking Behaviors,Smoking Habit,Behavior, Smoking,Behaviors, Smoking,Habit, Smoking,Habits, Smoking,Smoking Behavior,Smoking Habits

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