Date of Award

4-1970

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dr. Chris Koronakos

Second Advisor

Dr. Gyula Ficsor

Third Advisor

Dr. Howard Farris

Fourth Advisor

Dr. Donald Whaley

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Open Access

Abstract

Earlier studies using both mice and rats have revealed a significant, positive correlation between preference of alcohol concentration and activity of the liver enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase. In this study two groups of Sprague- Dawley rats, matched for sex, were presented alcohol by either a choice or forced condition for three twelve day periods in a choice-forced-choice or forced-choice-forced sequence. Data were recorded as the amount of alcohol - consumed under each consumption condition. After the rats were sacrificed, their livers were removed and assays were made for the alcohol dehydrogenase activity. While several correlations between consumption and alcohol dehydrogenase activity were significant, it was concluded that the results did not support the hypothesis that consumption of high concentrations of alcohol is a function of the organism metabolic capacity for alcohol exclusively.

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