Attenuation of ethanol intake by contingent punishment of food-maintained responding

Abstract

Two food-deprived rats responded under a concurrent fixed-ratio 12 (food) fixed-ratio 1 (8% ethanol) reinforcement schedule in which a tone occurred during every second or every fourth interpellet interval. When ethanol-maintained lever presses during the presence of the tone shifted the food schedule to one in which electric shock punishment occurred, ethanol-maintained responding consistently decreased. The decrease in the frequency of ethanol-maintained responding varied directly with shock voltage from 25 to 100 V, and occurred during intervals with the tone present and absent. These results indicate that ethanol intake may be attenuated by contingent changes in a concurrent food schedule.