A typology of alcohol abusers: Correlates and implications.

Used data from 725 individuals (mean age 38.1 yrs) seeking help for alcohol-related problems who had been administered the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test; the Social Readjustment Rating Scale; the Personality Research Form; Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale; the Standard Progressive Matrices; the Vocabulary and Digit Symbol subscales of the WAIS; and measures of alcohol use, lifetime drinking history, basic personality, SES variables, and response styles to cluster analyze for types of drinkers. Analysis yielded 3 types: Type 1 Ss (early-stage problem drinkers) represented a fairly heterogeneous group, Type 2 Ss (affiliative, moderately dependent drinkers) were more socially oriented and drank on a daily basis, and Type 3 Ss (schizoid, severely dependent drinkers) were socially isolative, tended to drink in binges, and reported the most severe symptoms of alcoholism. A speculative model is proposed that consists of the 3 types superimposed on an underlying continuum of alcohol dependence; it is suggested that the model has heuristic value for stimulating further research on the etiology and differential treatment of alcohol abuse. (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral treatment of problem drinkers: A comparative outcome study of three controlled drinking therapies.

Evaluated and compared 3 therapies designed to reduce the alcohol consumption of problem drinkers. 29 self-referred and 89 court-referred clients were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups: (a) aversive counterconditioning (AC) using self-administered electrical stimulation; (b) behavioral self-control training (BT) including self-monitoring and instruction in functional analysis; or (c) a controlled drinking composite (CD) including blood alcohol awareness training, discriminated aversive counterconditioning, self-monitoring, and rate-control training. Prior to treatment, all Ss completed the MMPI, Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test, Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale, and Profile of Mood States. All therapies were conducted by trained paraprofessionals and consisted of 10 weekly sessions. Results show that all 3 therapies produced significant reduction in weekly alcohol consumption and peak blood alcohol concentration. These gains were largely maintained over 1 yr of follow-up. No significant differences among treatments were found, although AC was initially least effective. CD proved least cost effective, requiring 4 times more therapist contact than either AC or BT. A self-control manual was helpful in maintaining controlled drinking. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of instructions and feedback on blood alcohol level discrimination training in nonalcoholic drinkers.

Investigated whether nonalcoholic drinkers can be trained to discriminate their blood alcohol levels (BAL) on the basis of internal cues. 72 male undergraduates classified as heavy drinkers came to the laboratory for 3 consecutive sessions, each consisting of 5 BAL estimation trials. The 2 manipulated independent variables factorially combined were beverage sequence and administration of BAL feedback. All Ss were told that they would receive mixed drinks containing vodka and tonic on each day, and all Ss received alcohol on Day 1. On Day 2, half of the Ss received alcohol and half received tonic alone; similarly, half of the Ss in each of these groups received either alcohol or tonic on Day 3. No S received BAL feedback on Day 1, and one-third of Ss did not receive feedback on Days 2 and 3. The remaining Ss received feedback on Day 2; half of the latter Ss also received feedback on Day 3, and half did not. Ss did not learn to discriminate their BAL on the basis of internal cues. Results are discussed in reference to the utility of BAL discrimination training in alcoholism prevention programs. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Provocation to anger and opportunity for retaliation as determinants of alcohol consumption in social drinkers.

Assigned 30 male and 30 female college students identified as heavy social drinkers to 1 of 6 groups in a 3 * 2 factorial design. In addition to the S sex factor, the 3 main treatment groups were provocation to anger with no opportunity to retaliate, provocation with opportunity for retaliation, and a no-provocation, no-retaliation control group. Provoked Ss were angered by an insulting confederate, whereas controls experienced a neutral interaction with the confederate. In the retaliation condition, Ss were given the opportunity to deliver a fixed number of shocks to the confederate who had provoked them. Drinking rates in all Ss were then determined by their participation in a standardized taste-rating task, which permitted an unobtrusive measure of alcohol consumption. Results show that group members who were provoked and expressed their anger by retaliating against the confederate consumed significantly less alcohol than provoked Ss in the no-retaliation condition. Controls drank an intermediate amount of alcohol but did not differ significantly from the other 2 groups. Sex was not a significant determinant of alcohol consumption. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Levels of adult alcohol consumption induced by interactions with child confederates exhibiting normal versus externalizing behaviors.

Investigated levels of distress and alcohol consumption in Ss interacting with problematic vs nonproblematic child confederates. Social drinkers were randomly assigned to interact with boys trained to enact behaviors characteristic of either normal or attention-deficit disorder/conduct disorder (ADD/CD) children. Mood data were collected before and after the interaction. Ss engaged in ad lib beer consumption for 20 min, while anticipating another interaction with the same boy. Children in the ADD/CD role produced comparably distressed moods for both male and female Ss. However, only men drank to higher blood-alcohol levels in the ADD/CD vs. normal child condition. Results suggest that higher rates of drinking observed in fathers of ADD/CD children may be partly a function of their particular response to the distress associated with interactions with such children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Buss-Durkee assessment and validation with violent versus nonviolent chronic alcohol abusers.

26 male 27–47 yr old chronic alcohol abusers who had been violent while intoxicated and 25 male 34–52 yr old nonviolent alcohol abusers were administered the Buss-Durkee Hostility-Guilt Inventory. All Ss were Caucasians with a reported daily intake of ethanol of 227 ml?±?89 ml for at least the last 5 yrs. Violence was documented by police records and by patient and family reports. Violent drinkers scored significantly higher than controls on the Total Hostility score and on subscales measuring Assault, Irritability, Verbal Hostility, Indirect Hostility, and Resentment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Older adult controlled drinkers and abstainers

Little is known about the lifetime course of alcohol problems, especially during late adulthood. Many individuals with a history of alcohol problems achieve remission of their symptoms through abstinence or controlled drinking. This study examined 135 older adults with a prior history of alcohol diagnoses who were symptom free for at least the past year. Two groups were identified based on their alcohol consumption within the past year: abstinent individuals (n = 92) and controlled drinkers (n = 43). The groups did not differ in age, racial composition, education, income, or years since their last alcohol-related symptom, but they did differ in gender composition, indices of alcoholism severity, history of formal and informal treatment, as well as lifetime alcohol consumption patterns. Abstinent individuals had more severe alcohol problems, consumed higher amounts of alcohol on drinking days, had more years of heavy alcohol consumption, and were more likely to have attended alcohol treatment and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). The controlled drinkers had a longer history of moderate social drinking, and their current consumption habits appeared to be similar to symptom-free older adult drinkers. The results suggest that gender, alcoholism severity, history of formal and informal treatment, and past consumption patterns are associated with whether older adults with histories of alcoholism attain successful outcomes through abstinence or controlled drinking.     

Acute and chronic effects of alcohol use on organizational processes in memory.

Tested 24 25-50 yr old males selected on the basis of their drinking histories (alcoholics, heavy drinkers, and social drinkers) on a series of tasks assessing organizational processes in memory. Each S was tested once while sober and once while intoxicated (blood alcohol level = 100 mg%). No systematic differences emerged as a function of drinking history, but alcohol intoxication had several detrimental effects on memory performance. Intoxicated Ss recalled less information, had lower organizational scores, and learned at slower rates. Both storage and retrieval processes were adversely affected by alcohol, although retrieval processes were somewhat responsive to experimental manipulations. Findings are discussed in terms of the passive or unsystematic encoding strategies in intoxicated Ss that lowered the efficiency of their semantic organization and recall. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcohol, expectancy, cognitive labeling, and mirth.

Investigated the role of alcohol, expectancy, and cognitive labeling in producing positive emotional changes following moderate alcohol consumption. In a 2–3 factorial design, 96 male normal drinkers (undergraduates) were (a) given either an alcoholic (.45 g ethanol/kg) or a nonalcoholic beverage, (b) instructed that they were receiving either an alcoholic or a nonalcoholic beverage, and (c) either informed or not informed of common physical sensations that result from a moderate dose of alcohol. Ss were then exposed to humorous stimuli, and their laughter and self-reports of mood were measured. Hypotheses based on extensions to alcohol intoxication of the cognitive-attributional components of S. Schachter's (1964) theory of emotion were not supported. Although both instructing Ss that they had received alcohol and actually administering alcohol increased Ss' reports of positive affect, only the beverage content instruction influenced Ss' laughter. Implications for current conceptualizations of the emotional and behavioral effects of alcohol consumption are discussed. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treatment of nightmares via relaxation and desensitization: A controlled evaluation.

32 self-referred nightmare sufferers (mean age 36 yrs) were randomly assigned to relaxation training, systematic desensitization, or a waiting-list control. Ss on the average had been having 9 nightmares/mo and reported mean problem duration of 12 yrs prior to treatment. After the intervention phase, both treated groups showed significant decreases in nightmare frequency relative to controls. After subsequent treatment, the waiting-list group showed similarly decreased frequency but remained unimproved on nightmare intensity relative to prior treated groups. Hierarchical desensitization did not increase efficacy at 15 wks beyond benefits associated with relaxation alone. At 25 wks, however, desensitized Ss showed significantly greater reduction in nightmare intensity. Overall, at least 80% reduction in nightmares was reported by 20 Ss, of whom 12 reported total elimination of symptoms at 25-wk follow-up. Some Ss experienced fewer but more intense nightmares, others maintained frequency of previously disturbing dreams but were no longer awakened or distressed by them, and 2 reported substantial worsening of symptoms. Unfavorable outcome was associated with personality disorder profiles on the MMPI. Findings are discussed in relation to a conceptualization of nightmares as a symptom of a more generalized arousal disorder. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treatment process factors and satisfaction with drug abuse treatment.

Examined treatment satisfaction (TS) in relation to treatment outcomes (i.e., tenure and relapse for opioid use) and client and treatment variables in 532 methadone maintenance clients in a data system by M. Allison et al (1982). Satisfaction data were limited to the 1st 3 mo in treatment. Most Ss stated that the treatment had helped them to some degree with their drug problem or that they were at least somewhat satisfied with treatment. About three-quarters of the clients felt that the treatment had helped them at least somewhat with other nondrug problems. Overall, results suggested that TS measured early in treatment does not have strong direct effects on during-treatment-outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nonproblem drinking outcomes in adolescents treated for alcohol use disorders.

Change to nonproblem drinking was studied in 159 adolescents (70% male) presenting for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) treatment. A community sample (n=148, 47% male) also was assessed. Clinical participants had a current AUD at baseline; 1 year later, 17% remained abstinent, 60% had at least 1 AUD symptom (problem drinkers), and 23% were drinking but had no AUD symptoms (nonproblem drinkers). Drinking among the nonproblem drinkers decreased and was lower than in the problem drinkers. Nonproblem drinkers increased in psychosocial functioning and decreased in the number of illicit drugs used relative to problem drinkers and generally did not differ from the abstainers. The results suggest alternative views of treatment goals, relapse, and treatment outcome in adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cross-modal and intramodal transfer as predictors of mental development in full-term and preterm infants.

25 full-term (FT) and 33 preterm (PT) infants who had participated in studies of cross-modal (CM) and intramodal (IM) transfer at 12 mo of age were seen at older ages to assess the predictive validity of these early measures for later cognition. FT Ss were administered the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 24 mo of age; PT Ss were administered these scales at 12 and 24 mo of age, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (Form L-M) at 34 and 40 mo of age, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised and the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration at 6 yrs of age. For FT Ss, both 12-mo measures were significantly related to 24-mo Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) scores; for PT Ss, both 12-mo measures were related not only to 24-mo Bayley MDI but to each subsequent measure of cognitive outcome through 6 yrs. 12-mo IM scores were highly correlated with the 6-yr assessment of visual–motor integration. A measure of object permanence obtained at 12 mo was also related to cognitive outcome, but not so consistently as were the other 2 12-mo measures. Although parental education was a significant predictor beginning at 24 mo, multiple regression analyses indicated that the CM and the IM measures substantially increased the percentage of variance in outcome that could be accounted for by parental education alone. (61 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral analysis of chronic alcoholism in four women

Observed the behavior of 4 female 38-50 yr old alcoholics over a 22-day period at the Alcoholic Behavior Research Laboratory, Rutgers University. A 12-day drinking period was preceded by a 6-day predrinking baseline assessment period and followed by a 4-day postdrinking withdrawal phase. Points earned for operant responding at a button-pressing task were spent to purchase alcohol, relief from programmed social isolation, or both during specified periods. Ss emitted high operant rates during predrinking, largely to accumulate socialization points. Operant rate declined when alcohol became available. When Ss resumed operant responding, they tended to work for and spend about the same number of alcohol points each day. Ss resumed working for socialization points when they ran out of them; they continued to earn these points into the postdrinking period. Ss consumed consistent amounts of alcohol each day in a cyclic pattern, almost always reaching their highest blood alcohol level at the midnight reading. Drink preference, sip magnitude, and consumption time resembled more closely those behaviors reported for male social drinkers than for male alcoholics. Ss reported generally improved affect when drinking began. No changes in psychopathology were noted during drinking. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcohol's effects on physiological arousal and self-reported affect and sensations.

60 male normal drinkers (undergraduates) were instructed that they would receive an alcoholic, nonalcoholic, or an unidentified beverage that would be alcoholic or nonalcoholic. Half the Ss in each instruction group consumed an alcoholic beverage; the other half consumed a non-alcoholic beverage. Self-reports of affect (Mood Adjective Check List, Multiple Affect Adjective Check List) and bodily sensations and measures of pulse rate and skin conductance were obtained at baseline and during the ascending and descending phases of the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) function. Analysis of covariance showed that Ss who consumed alcohol reported higher levels of positive affects and sensations and lower levels of depression than Ss who did not consume alcohol. The instructional manipulation had a limited effect. Self-reports of affect and sensations were most affected by type of beverage consumed; sensations were also rated higher during the ascending than during the descending phase of the BAC. Physiological measures were influenced by instructions and beverage. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individual differences in the stress-response-dampening effect of alcohol: A dose-response study.

Recent evidence suggests that alcohol consumption can lead to attenuated stress response, but parameters such as dose and personality traits appear to influence the magnitude of alcohol's effects. To better characterize these relations, 96 21–30 yr old male social drinkers were assigned to either a placebo, a moderate, or a high dose of alcohol and then had heart rate and a self-report measure of anxiety taken during a stressful social interaction. Consistent with previous research, alcohol dampened both heart rate and, to a lesser extent, anxiety responses to the stressor. Because the reduced heart rate responsivity was obtained in the absence of increased basal heart rate, it is suggested that cardiovascular stress response dampening (SRD) does not appear to be an artifact of an initial values effect. Although there was some evidence that Ss with prealcoholic personality traits were especially sensitive to the SRD effect of alcohol, this effect did not appear to be strong or robust across alternative measures of prealcoholic traits. There was no evidence that self-consciousness or expectancies for tension-reducing alcohol effects were associated with stress responsivity in Ss consuming alcohol. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Alcohol consumption as a self-handicapping strategy in women.

Assessed whether women self-handicap with alcohol consumption prior to engaging in a social evaluation task, which may be more relevant to their self-esteem than the intellectual tasks used in past self-handicapping studies on substance use. 113 women (aged 19–32 yrs), who were evaluated as normal drinkers, performed either a solvable or an insolvable social judgment task and then received either success feedback or no feedback. Ss received access to alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages while awaiting a retest. The study terminated before the retest. The self-handicapping hypothesis that noncontingent success would produce relatively greater alcohol consumption was not supported. Regardless of feedback, insolvable test Ss consumed more alcohol than did solvable test Ss. Findings suggest that the hypothesis may be limited as a general model of alcohol consumption in both sexes. (13 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of goal setting on performance and job satisfaction.

Conducted a field experiment to compare participative, assigned, and no-training (comparison) goal setting groups. 37 sales personnel were trained in participative goal setting, and 41 were trained in assigned goal setting. A 3rd group of 44 served as a comparison unit. Mean age range of Ss was 34.3-36.4 yrs. Measures of 4 performance and 2 satisfaction criteria were collected at 4 data points: baseline (before training), and 6, 9, and 12 mo after training. Analysis of variance and Duncan's multiple-range test results indicate that for at least 9 mo both participative and assigned goal setting Ss were more effective in improving performance and satisfaction. The improvements, however, were generally not found 12 mo after training. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Plasma lipid changes in the normal population following behavioral treatment.

Compared the effectiveness of 3 intervention programs, diet booklet only, nutrition education, and behavioral intervention with nutrition education, for reducing plasma cholesterol and triglyceride in individuals living in the community whose lipid levels fell within the average range for the American population. Results with 183 Ss (volunteers over 18 yrs of age solicited through newspaper articles and food demonstration workshops) show that Ss who received the behavioral intervention with nutrition education had a significantly greater reduction in cholesterol than those in the other 2 conditions at 6 mo. Both nutrition education and behavioral intervention groups had small but statistically significant cholesterol reduction at 12 mo. Triglyceride decreases were also small but statistically significant for both the nutrition education and behavioral intervention groups at 12 mo. Although Ss could lower their lipid levels for 6 mo, they did not maintain their decreases. Implications for the role of behavior modification in public health programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mental mapping of a megastructure.

Studied the acquisition of spatial information about a large multifunctional complex building by obtaining distance estimations, confidence judgments, and imagery reports. Ss were undergraduates and prospective undergraduates of a university who varied in their experience with the campus. Fourth-year Ss, who had made intensive use of the campus for at least 28 mo, were the most experienced. First-year Ss, who had used the campus for 3–6 mo, had less experience. Other Ss were visiting the campus for the 1st time. At each level of experience, 6 males and 6 females were tested. Magnitude estimation functions for particular sets of distances were computed for each S using iteratively weighted least squares, yielding an exponent and weights for each distance. Improvement in performance on different measures with increasing experience was not uniform: Certain distances were increasingly in error. Data suggest that abstract schemata operate at all levels of exposure but that structural consistency increases. Directional asymmetries in distance judgments that accompanied shifts in imagery are evidence for qualitatively different encodings of the environment: abstract vs scenographic. It is argued that superior performance on the distance estimation task depends on the construction of a dynamic abstract representation or "working map." (French abstract) (44 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)