The effects of chlorpromazine and imipramine on rate and stimulus control of matching to sample.

Pigeons were trained to perform simultaneous, two-color matching to sample under a multiple fixed-ratio fixed-interval schedule of food presentation. The sequence terminating with a peck on the matching key (a "match") was treated as a unit, analogous to a single key peck in conventional schedules. Except for intermittent reinforcement of matches, no consequent stimulus distinguished matches from mismatches (sequences terminating with pecks on the nonmatching key). The pattern of matches during nondrug sessions resembled that of simpler operants maintained by similar schedules. Matches increased in rate toward the end of both components; mismatch rates increased more slowly. Imipramine increased the rate of mismatches, disrupted schedule patterning, and lowered accuracy in a dose-dependent fashion. Chlorpromazine lowered the overall rate of matches but affected schedule patterns and accuracy less than imipramine. The types of errors during drug sessions were not systematically related to the types of errors that appeared during nondrug sessions. Stimulus control was evaluated for each of the four possible color configurations and was found to be by the entire configuration of colors, not simply by the color of the sample.