Question

Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R
Assertion A: There is decreased effect of a drug when it is taken repeatedly.
Reason R: Conditioned compensatory response is not triggered when drug is taken in usual circumstances.
In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below

• A. Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A
• B. Both A and R are correct but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
• C. A is correct but R is not correct
• D. A is not correct but R is correct

Hint:

Remember Shepard Siegel's model: Pavlovian conditioning plays a massive role in tolerance. Usual environment = CS present $\rightarrow$ Compensatory CR triggered $\rightarrow$ Tolerant response (lower drug effect).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks us to evaluate the scientific validity of an Assertion and a Reason relating drug tolerance to classical conditioning and conditioned compensatory responses.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

• Assertion A states that there is a decreased effect of a drug when it is taken repeatedly. This is a true statement that defines the physiological and behavioral phenomenon of drug tolerance.

• Reason R asserts that a conditioned compensatory response is not triggered when a drug is taken in usual circumstances. This statement is biologically and psychologically incorrect.

• According to Shepard Siegel's classical conditioning model of drug tolerance, the environment in which a drug is taken repeatedly acts as a conditioned stimulus ($CS$).

• The body learns to associate these environmental cues with the upcoming drug administration and triggers a conditioned compensatory response ($CR$) that opposes the drug's effects to maintain homeostasis.

• Therefore, when the drug is taken in usual circumstances, this compensatory response *is* actively triggered, which directly reduces the drug's effective strength and causes tolerance.

• If the drug is taken in an unusual environment, the $CS$ is absent, the conditioned compensatory response is *not* triggered, and the drug effect remains dangerously high, which can lead to accidental overdoses.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Assertion A is correct because it accurately defines tolerance, but Reason R is incorrect because the conditioned compensatory response is actively triggered in usual drug-taking circumstances.