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The complexity of drug choice: rats prefer alcohol over social interaction

Neuropsychopharmacology volume 48, pages 583–584 (2023)Cite this article

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Recently, there has been much interest in choice between drugs and social reinforcement. This interest was stimulated by the fascinating results of experiments showing that, when given a choice, rats greatly preferred brief periods of social interaction with a fellow rat over intravenous infusions of drugs including methamphetamine and heroin, independently of drug dose [1]. Even after extended or intermittent access drug self-administration, procedures which result in addiction-like behavior, introduction of social interaction as an alternative to heroin or methamphetamine caused rats to abstain from the drug. That rats, even ones showing signs resembling addiction, would give up these drugs when offered the chance to interact with a peer suggests that social interaction is an extremely powerful reinforcer in rats.

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Funding

This work was supported by NIDA award DA055572.

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  1. Department of Psychology, American University, Washington, DC, USA

    David N. Kearns

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  1. David N. Kearns
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DK wrote and edited the manuscript and approved the final version.

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Correspondence to David N. Kearns.

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Kearns, D.N. The complexity of drug choice: rats prefer alcohol over social interaction. Neuropsychopharmacol. 48, 583–584 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01469-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01469-0

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