EFFECTS OF NICOTINE ON COOPERATIVE RESPONDING AMONG ABSTINENT MALE SMOKERS

The effects of nicotine on human cooperative responding in abstinent m ale smokers were examined, During episodes occurring at random times t hrough a session, concurrently available cooperative and independent r esponses were maintained by points exchangeable for money. Cooperative responses simultaneously added points to counters marked ''Your Earni ngs'' and ''Other's Earnings'' only if the subject's and another perso n's responses ostensibly coincided. Independent responses added points only to the counter marked ''Your Earnings''. After the first daily s ession abstinent subjects smoked ad libitum, received either 0, 2 or 4 mg nicotine gum or abstained from smoking. Increases from this first session in time allocated to the cooperative response option, proporti on of cooperative responses and cooperative response rate were signifi cantly greater following ad libitum smoking or acute administration of 4 mg nicotine. No effects of nicotine abstinence were observed on ind ependent response rate. These results suggest effects on sociability m ay maintain nicotine use and increase relapse risk in abstinent smoker s.