Effect of Environmental Change and Electric Shock on Water Consumption in the Rat

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Abstract
The normal range of water consumption in 1 hr. after 23 hr. of deprivation was derermined for 45 naive female albino rats. Fifteen control Ss remained on 23-hr. deprivation undisturbed in the home cage. Thirty Ss were placed in a grill box without shock for 15 min. per day for five days just prior to the drinking period in the home cage. This procedure significantly depressed drinking for one day. Fifteen of these 30 Ss then received 0.09 ma. of shock in the grill box 15 min. per day for 10 days. The other 15 received 2.5 ma. The high shock level facilitated drinking in the home cage for one day but response returned to normal on subsequent days. The relevance of these results for arousal theory and the effect of novel situations was discussed.