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. 2015 May 7:1:68-72.
doi: 10.1016/j.abrep.2015.05.001. eCollection 2015 Jun.

Testing a frequency of exposure hypothesis in attentional bias for alcohol-related stimuli amongst social drinkers

Ian P Albery  1 , Dinkar Sharma  2 , Simon Noyce  1 , Daniel Frings  1 , Antony C Moss  1
Affiliations

Testing a frequency of exposure hypothesis in attentional bias for alcohol-related stimuli amongst social drinkers

Ian P Albery et al. Addict Behav Rep. .

Abstract

Aims: To examine whether a group of social drinkers showed longer response latencies to alcohol-related stimuli than neutral stimuli and to test whether exposure to 1) an alcohol-related environment and 2) consumption related cues influenced the interference from alcohol-related stimuli.

Methods: A 2 × 2 × 2 × 5 factorial design with Exposure Group (high, low) and Consumption Group (high, low) as between-participant factors and Word Type (alcohol, neutral) and Block (1-5) as within-participant factors was used. Forty-three undergraduate university students, 21 assigned to a high exposure group and 22 to a low exposure group, took part in the experiment. Exposure Group was defined according to whether or not participants currently worked in a bar or pub. Consumption Group was defined according to a median split on a quantity-frequency measure derived from two questions of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire. A modified computerised Stroop colour naming test was used to measure response latencies.

Results: Exposure and consumption factors interacted to produce greater interference from alcohol-related stimuli. In particular, the low consumption group showed interference from alcohol-related stimuli only in the high exposure condition. Exposure did not affect the magnitude of interference in the high consumption group.

Conclusions: Attentional bias is dependent upon exposure to distinct types of alcohol-related cues.

Keywords: Attentional bias; Cues; Exposure; Social drinkers.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Mean correct interference scores (alcohol RT–neutral RT) for consumption groups and exposure groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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