Cocaine and food as reinforcers: effects of reinforcer magnitude and response requirement under second-order fixed-ratio and progressive-ratio schedules.

Reinforcer magnitude and fixed-ratio requirement were varied under two second-order schedules. Under one, the first sequence of a fixed number of responses completed after the lapse of a 10-min fixed interval produced reinforcement. Under the second, a second-order progressive-ratio schedule, the fixed number of responses increased after each reinforcement. Either cocaine (0 to 300 micrograms/kg/inj) or food (0 to 5,700 mg/delivery) reinforcers were delivered. Under some conditions, a 2-s illumination of stimulus lights occurred on completion of each ratio sequence. Under the second-order schedule, as cocaine dose or amount of food increased, rates of responding increased; at the highest values, rates of responding decreased. Increases in the ratio requirement from 10 to 170 responses minimally decreased overall response rates. Under the second-order progressive-ratio schedule, increases in dose of cocaine or amount of food increased rates of responding; at the highest amounts of food, rates of responding decreased but response rates at the highest dose of cocaine remained relatively high. The highest ratio requirement that was completed (breaking point) depended on the dose of cocaine but was less dependent on the amount of food. Removing brief-stimulus presentations had a greater effect on completion of ratio requirements with cocaine compared to food.