The influence of d-amphetamine, benactyzine, and chlorpromazine on performance in an auditory vigilance task

Detections, false responses, and latencies were measured in a 1-hr. auditory vigilance task following ingestion of either a stimulating drug, one of two tranquilizers, or a placebo. Changes in performance under the placebo were explicable in terms of shifts toward conservatism in S’s criteria for responding; under the tranquilizers, similar shifts in criteria occurred as well as decrements in effective sensitivity. Under the stimu lant, performance quality remained essentially constant during the 1-hr. vigil.