Kearns David N
Psychology Department, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 USA.
Perspect Behav Sci. 2025 Apr 7;48(2):341-366. doi: 10.1007/s40614-025-00445-5. eCollection 2025 Jun.
Many recent studies have investigated rats' choice between drug and nondrug reinforcers to model variables influencing drug taking in humans. As research using this model accumulates, the complexity of factors affecting drug choice has become increasingly apparent. This review applies a behavioral economic perspective to research that has used this model. The focus is on experiments that have manipulated behavioral economic variables in studies of rats' choice between drugs like cocaine or heroin and nondrug reinforcers like saccharin or social interaction. Price effects, reinforcer interactions (i.e., as substitutes or complements), economy type, and income effects are described. Results of experiments testing the impact of these variables on rats' choice are presented and analyzed. Although rats' behavior in this model often conforms well with behavioral economic principles, there have also been instances where further explanation is required. By appreciating the behavioral economic context in which rats' choice between drug and nondrug reinforcers occurs, and by recognizing that both consequences and antecedents can play important roles in this behavior, our understanding of the complexity of factors involved in drug choice can be increased.
最近许多研究调查了大鼠在药物和非药物强化物之间的选择，以此来模拟影响人类药物使用的各种变量。随着使用该模型的研究不断积累，影响药物选择的因素的复杂性日益明显。本综述运用行为经济学的视角来审视使用该模型的研究。重点关注那些在大鼠对可卡因或海洛因等药物与糖精或社交互动等非药物强化物之间的选择研究中，对行为经济学变量进行操纵的实验。文中描述了价格效应、强化物相互作用（即作为替代品或互补品）、经济类型和收入效应。呈现并分析了测试这些变量对大鼠选择影响的实验结果。尽管大鼠在该模型中的行为通常与行为经济学原理高度契合，但也存在一些情况需要进一步解释。通过了解大鼠在药物和非药物强化物之间进行选择时所处的行为经济学背景，并认识到后果和前因在这种行为中都可能发挥重要作用，我们对药物选择所涉及因素的复杂性的理解能够得到提升。
