The Effect of Stress on the Consumption of Alcohol and Reserpine

Abstract

The effect of applying a 16 day continuing series of 1.5 se.c, 35 v. electric shocks to cages of 2 groups of Sprague-Dawley rats was charted by the self-selection method. Time between shocks averaged 11.3 min. One group (10 subjects) chose 16% ethanol versus water, the other group (8 subjects) chose 1.25 mg/100 ml reserpine solution versus water. The per cent of alcohol consumed increased significantly following the shock series before returning to pre-shock levels (Probability < .05) whereas reserpine intake declined. Reinforcement theory suggests that alcohol drinking was reinforced due to reduction of anxiety drive, but that the delay of reinforcement was too great in the case of reserpine because of the relatively slow absorption rate of this drug.