Abstract
The present study sought to determine what, if any, relationship exists between blood-sugar level and aggression. Three groups of rats had blood-sugar level experimentally reduced via injections of 4, 8, and 12 units of regular zinc insulin. A fourth group served as an injection control. One-half hour following its injection, each subject received 10 min of shock-elicited aggression testing. The results indicated that the subjects receiving the 12-unit insulin injection were significantly more aggressive than all other groups. Graphically there was an indication that the larger the insulin dosage (i.e., the lower the blood-sugar level), the higher the amount of aggression displayed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Mollenhour, M. N., Voorhees, J. W., & Davis, S. F. Sleepy and hostile: The effects of REM sleep deprivation on shock-elicited aggression. Animal Learning & Behavior, 1977, 5, 148–152.
Trotter, R. J. Aggression: A way of life for the Qolla. Science News, 1973, 103, 76–77.
Wauchope, G. M. Critical review hypoglycemia. Quarterly Journal of Medicine, 1933, 5, 117–156.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This research was supported by a Tower Fund research grant from Austin Peay State University to the third author and by a faculty research grant from Middle Tennessee State University to the last author.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Neideffer, J., Travis, M.N., Davis, S.F. et al. Sweet and sour rats: The effect of insulin dosage on shock-elicited aggression. Bull. Psychon. Soc. 10, 311–312 (1977). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329345
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03329345