The Effects of Alcohol on Conflict Behavior in the Albino Rat

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Abstract
Three related expts. were made on albino rats. In expt. 1, competing tendencies to approach and avoid a food cup at one end of a straight alley were set up (using food and shock), to find the effects of alcohol on the resulting approach-avoidance conflict. All animals injd. with 10% alcohol intraperitoneally (1.5 ml. per 100 g. body wt.) resolved the conflict on trial 1 and ran up to eat, but no controls with water injn. In expt. 2, the effect of alcohol on each of the 2 competing tendencies was studied separately, with approach established in one group, avoidance in another. With strength of a tendency measured by pull exerted against a calibrated spring by a rat under momentary restraint, it was detd. that alcohol markedly decreased strength of avoidance (239.5 g. to 129.8 g.), but only slightly decreased approach (154.5 g. to 149. 7 g.). Expt. 3 was designed to determine whether alcohol might act here simply to change the stimulus situation, or act, at least in part, through effects specific to inebriation. One group of rats was taught to run down to the food cup under alcohol injn., but to avoid it under water injn.; conditions were reversed for a 2d group. Both groups learned the discrimination reliably, but the first group needed fewer trials. The interpretation is that (1) some of the effects, if not all, of the alcohol were specific to an inebriation, and (2) these effects can be overcome by a learned discrimination based on a condition of sobriety or of inebriation. Possible applications of the findings are discussed.