University of North Carolina Wilmington
Jeremy Langford is working toward his master’s degree at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) under the mentorship of Dr. Raymond Pitts. His thesis is designed to investigate the behavioral and pharmacological mechanisms that underlie impulsive (delay discounting) and risky (probability discounting) choices in an animal model with pigeons. Specifically, this line of research is intended to characterize and separate the processes in which behavior comes under control of delayed or probabilistic outcomes under a concurrent-chains procedure. Further, the comparative effects of methylphenidate on sensitivity to different reinforcement parameters under this procedure will elucidate similarities and differences between the mechanisms underlying delay and probability discounting. A greater understanding of the manner in which psychomotor stimulants (e.g., methylphenidate) affect behavior under different conditions has implications for improving our approach to mental health and drug-related issues. Jeremy would like to thank SABA for supporting this research and Raymond Pitts and Christine Hughes for their invaluable role as mentors during his time at UNCW.
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