Dose-related effects of ethanol on avoidance-avoidance conflict behavior in the rat

The effects of ethanol on avoidance-avoidance conflict behavior were examined, utilizing a 3- x -3 factorial design in which rats were trained and tested after drinking sugar-water solutions containing 0, 3, or 6% ethanol. Avoidance tendencies were established by initially training rats to escape from electric shock by running in one direction in a white alley, and in the opposite direction in a black alley. In subsequent shock free conflict tests, the rats were placed into an alley with one black wall and one white wall, an environment in which incompatible tendencies to avoid both ends of the alley were aroused. During training, ethanol decreased the speeds with which rats escaped shock. In the subsequent avoidance-avoidance conflict tests, rats that previously received shock escape training after drinking ethanol ran more slowly, and exhibited lower total movement and oscillation range scores than did animals trained after drinking plain sugar-water. Administration of ethanol just prior to the conflict tests resulted in dose-related increases in running speeds, total movement scores, and oscillation ranges. These results suggest that moderate doses of ethanol increased responding by differentially weakening conflicting avoidance tendencies.