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The relationship between tension reduction and ethanol consumption in rats

1982; Springer Nature; Volume: 10; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3758/bf03327014

0090-5046

Joseph R. Volpicelli, Joanne Tiven, Steven C. Kimmel,

Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

It is generally assumed that organisms drink ethanol during stress in order to reduce anxiety. We tested this prediction by investigating the effects of inescapable shock in relation to living conditions and the temporal pattern of ethanol consumption. Adult male rats received 60 trials of 2-sec-duration 1.0-mA inescapable shock each day throughout shock training. Contrary to the tension-reduction prediction, when subjects were given a choice between water and 5% ethanol, the rats living in the fearful shock environment consumed less ethanol than the rats that returned to their home cages (safety cages) after shock treatment. In addition, rats showed an increase in ethanol consumption, but only on the days following experience with inescapable shock. These results are inconsistent with the tension-reduction hypothesis and suggest that rats drink ethanol, not during, but when recovering from tension-arousing events.