ABSTRACT
The relationship between open-field emotional reactivity and alcohol preference was investigated in crosses of the Maudsley and Roman rat lines. No significant differences were found in any of the behaviors between the respective reciprocal crosses. The scores on the two variables showed a positive correlation between open-field defecation (OFD) and alcohol preference. The findings confirmed a prediction for the relationship between OFD and alcohol preference in these genetic crosses. In light of the previous findings it would seem that OFD and alcohol preference are not directly related to each other, and emotional reactivity acts as a mediating process between the two behaviors. However, in these genetic crosses the observed relationship between OFD and alcohol preference can be explained by a possible genetic overlap between the mechanisms mediating these two behaviors.
