The ring-cleavage reactions of a series of benzocycloalkenes were studied using an ArF excimer laser. Product formation was significantly suppressed in the presence of nitrogen; therefore, the presence of vibrationally excited states (hot molecules), as intermediates, was indicated. The product of highly strained benzocyclobutene was linearly proportional to the laser fluence, whereas those of benzocyclopentene and benzocyclohexene were proportional to the square of the laser fluence in the presence of nitrogen. These phenomena cannot be understood as photochemical bond cleavage in the electronic excited state, but instead appear to be the result of single- and two-photon reactions of hot molecules. The dissociation rate constants were evaluated by a statistical rate theory under the assumption that the reaction occurred from the hot molecule. The reaction rate of highly strained benzocyclobutene was predicted to be faster than the collisional rate with foreign gas, even if it had vibrational energy equivalent to one photon; however, the reaction rates of less strained benzocyclohexene were expected to compete with the collisional rate when the vibrational energy was equivalent to two photons. Benzocyclopentene was an intermediate case and showed both single- and two-photon reactions. The dissociation rate constant of 1.4 x 10(6) s(-1) was successfully obtained from benzocyclopentene under collision-free conditions. This value was in fair agreement with the calculated value. The different dissociation rate constants of the molecules were well-explained in terms of the strain energy. Although the strain energy varies in a wide range (10-130 kJ mol(-1)), the simple model of the calculations reproduced the observed values of the CH2-CH2 bond dissociation in strained benzocycloalkenes.