Stress and alcohol intake: the socio-pharmacological approach

Several experiments are reviewed in which rats housed in semi-naturalistic colony environments and given access to ad lib water and 10% ethanol have been discovered to show rhythms of alcohol consumption which do not develop in caged isolates and which are similar to those which develop in human populations. Of special interest is a sub-population of animals which develop extreme preferences for alcohol, for these animals are also found, compared to nonconsumers, to be relatively inactive and low in dominance. It is hypothesized that social factors play a strong role in the development of human alcoholism.