chapter 5

Psychopharmacology

The study of how drugs affect mood, thinking, and behavior.

Drug expectancies

Beliefs or expectations people have about what a drug will do; these can shape their actual experience.

Placebo effect

A change (improvement or side effect) experienced because a person believes they got a real drug, even if it was inert.

Double-blind

Neither the researcher nor participants know who is getting the real drug vs. placebo — to reduce bias.

Dose–response curve

It shows how different doses of a drug lead to different magnitudes or probabilities of effect.

Abuse liability

How likely it is that a drug will be misused or become addictive.

Post-marketing surveillance

After a drug is approved, monitoring its effects in the general population to catch rare adverse effects.

Major stages in new drug development

Discovery → preclinical (animal) testing → clinical trials (Phase I, II, III) → regulatory approval → post-marketing monitoring.

Safety and ethical concerns in testing psychoactive drugs

Possible side effects, long-term harm, informed consent, balancing risks vs benefits, monitoring participants.

Influence of setting on drug effects

The place, who you are with, or the context can change how strong or pleasant a drug feels.