Although the debilitating effects of ethanol on general behavior are well known, very little information is available concerning the possible influence of ethanol on processes involved in learning and memory. In many experiments, primary interest has been on the magnitude of ethanol induced changes in baseline skeletal activity and in physiological reactions such as respiration, heart rate, blood pressure and the galvanic skin response. Moreover, a considerable number of studies have been concerned with the influence of ethanol on motor reaction times and on visual, auditory and pain thresholds. In general, these investigations have revealed that the changes in physiological and behavioral responses produced by ethanol are dose dependent. The objective of the present experiment was to provide new information regarding the actions of ethanol on classically conditioned heart rate.