Chapter 17. Well-Being
WB.17: Deep Dive – The Rat Park Experiments Explained
Approximate reading time: 3 minutes
Content Disclosure: Please be advised that the following section discusses historical research methods that involved the use of animals in ways that would be considered unethical by today’s standards. This includes descriptions of experiments conducted by Hans Selye on rats, which involved exposure to severe stressors leading to physical injury and distress. While these studies contributed significantly to our understanding of stress responses, it is important to acknowledge the ethical concerns surrounding the treatment of animals in such research. We present this information for educational purposes, recognising the importance of ethical considerations in scientific research.
In psychology, historically, the study of addiction used to focus mainly on how individuals interact with drugs. People who used drugs were seen as weak, unlucky, or lacking will-power. In the late 1970s, however, Bruce Alexander’s Rat Park experiments changed this view. These experiments showed that the environment plays a crucial role in drug addiction (Alexander, Coambs, & Hadaway, 1978).
Alexander’s research involved two groups of rats. One group lived in ‘Rat Park,’ a large, engaging space with activities and chances to socialize. The other group lived in small, isolated cages, under extreme environmental conditions (note: the isolated cages used in these experiments, which caused extreme confinement and lack of social interaction, are now seen as unethical in animal research). Both groups could choose between water with morphine and plain water. The findings were eye-opening. The isolated rats drank more morphine water, while the Rat Park rats mostly chose plain water (Davies, 2009; Gage & Sumnall, 2018).
These results indicate that stressful environments and poor living conditions might lead to a higher risk of drug addiction. On the other hand, a stimulating and social environment seemed to reduce the need for drugs. This research is crucial to an understanding of addiction. It shows us that a stressful living environment and social setting can drastically undermine someone’s efforts to reduce drug use. (Alexander, Beyerstein, Hadaway, & Coambs, 1981; Jordan & Butler, 2011; Khoo, 2020).
The Rat Park experiments highlight the complexity of addiction and the need for a comprehensive approach to research and treatment. They challenge the idea that addiction is only about drug exposure and show that environmental and social changes can help prevent and treat addiction. These experiments also reveal the historically unethical treatment of animals in past psychological research.
While environmental factors like those seen in the Rat Park Experiments can significantly impact stress levels, the effects of acute traumatic events present a different dimension of stress, often with more immediate and intense consequences.
To calculate this time, we used a reading speed of 150 words per minute and then added extra time to account for images and videos. This is just to give you a rough idea of the length of the chapter section. How long it will take you to engage with this chapter will vary greatly depending on all sorts of things (the complexity of the content, your ability to focus, etc).
