PPT Slide
Mazmanian (1979) carried out an experiment to assess the interacting effects of monetary incentive and stimulant drugs on pursuit rotor performance. The first 30 subjects to appear at the laboratory were told they would receive $1.00 for each 60-second trial on which they achieved a time-on-target (TOT) score of 30 seconds or higher (high incentive condition). The next 30 subjects to appear were promised 5¢ for each trial on which they achieved a TOT score of 30 seconds or higher (low incentive condition). Each subject received 30 pursuit rotor trials per day for 4 days. On Days 1 and 2, subjects were tested without stimulant drugs, whereas on Days 3 and 4, they received a mild dose of amphetamine in pill form prior to their daily trials. It was found that pursuit rotor performance was significantly better under the high incentive than under the low incentive condition, and significantly better under the influence of amphetamine than in the no-drug condition.