Experimental manipulation of attentional bias increases the motivation to drink alcohol

Abstract

Rationale: Attentional bias for alcohol-related cues is associated with the motivation to drink alcohol, possibly because attentional bias increases craving.

Objectives: We examined whether an experimentally induced attentional bias would influence subjective and behavioural indices of the motivation to drink.

Methods: Heavy social drinkers (N=40) completed an attentional training procedure, in which half of the participants were trained to direct their attention towards alcohol-related cues ('attend alcohol'), and half of the participants were trained to direct their attention away from alcohol-related cues ('avoid alcohol'). After attentional training, participants rated their urge to drink alcohol, and the amount of beer consumed during a taste test was measured.

Results: The attentional training procedure produced significant changes in attentional bias in the predicted direction in both experimental groups. Attentional training produced an increase in the urge to drink alcohol in the attend alcohol group, and the attend alcohol group consumed more beer than the avoid alcohol group during the taste test.

Conclusions: These results suggest that a potentiated attentional bias for alcohol-related cues can increase the motivation to drink alcohol. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.