Blood alcohol level discrimination by alcoholics: The role of internal and external cues.

Two groups of 4 chronic alcoholics lived in Rutgers' Alcohol Behavior Research Laboratory for separate 2-wk periods. During that time, Ss were taught to attend either to internal or to external cues to blood alcohol level (BAL). Mean age of the internal group was 36.2 yrs, and that of the external was 35.7 yrs. Internal Ss completed the Body Sensation Checklist and the Mood Adjective Check List. During a single training session, Ss received feedback on actual BAL following each of their BAL estimates. During pretraining and posttraining sessions, assessments of BAL estimation accuracy were obtained in the absence of feedback. Prior to training, both groups were equally inaccurate in estimating BAL. During training, when accurate BAL feedback was provided, estimation accuracy increased significantly for both groups. Once feedback of actual BAL was removed during the posttraining test session, however, only externally trained Ss maintained the ability to estimate BAL accurately. It is concluded that unlike the nonalcoholic Ss studied by H. Huber, R. Karlin, and A. E. Nathan (1976), the alcoholic Ss of the present study did not learn to discriminate BAL on the basis of internal feelings and sensations nearly as adequately as they did when they referred to external cues. It is suggested that these findings may have important implications for the clinical application of BAL discrimination training. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expectancies, alcohol, and sexual arousal in women.

A total of 40 university female volunteers, all social drinkers aged 18–35 yrs, were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 expectancy conditions in which they were led to believe that the beverage they were administered contained either vodka and tonic or tonic only. For half the Ss in each expectancy condition, the beverage actually contained vodka; for the other half, tonic only. After their drinks, measures of vaginal pressure pulse obtained with a vaginal photoplethysmograph were recorded during a nonerotic control film and 2 erotic films depicting a heterosexual or a homosexual interaction. The 2 groups that received alcohol, regardless of whether they believed that their drinks contained alcohol, showed significantly reduced sexual arousal during both erotic films. No effects of expectancy or an interaction between alcohol and expectancy were obtained. Ss' subjective estimates of intoxication were significantly correlated with their self-report of sexual arousal during both erotic films. The differences between these results and previous findings using similar procedures with male social drinkers are discussed. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prior exposure to alcohol and the stress-response-dampening effect.

This study investigated the effect of receiving prior exposure to alcohol and the laboratory environment on the stress-reducing effects of alcohol. Sixteen heavy drinkers were matched on a measure of risk for alcoholism and assigned to 1 of 2 groups. During Days 1 and 2, the alcohol group drank alcohol (0.5 g/kg) and the placebo group drank a placebo in a distinct laboratory environment while measures of heart rate were obtained. During Day 3, both groups received a placebo in an effort to discern whether the groups differed in their response to alcohol cues. During Day 4, both groups received alcohol followed by a stressful task. The groups differed in neither their response to alcohol cues nor their initial response to alcohol. However, the alcohol group did demonstrate a reduced heart rate response during the stress phase. These results suggest that the stress-reducing effects of alcohol may reflect the influence of experiential as well as pharmacological factors related to alcohol consumption. (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)     

Strategy training and attributional feedback with learning disabled students.

Investigated the effects of verbalization of subtraction with regrouping operations and effort-attributional feedback on the self-efficacy and skillful performance of 90 Ss (aged 11 yrs 2 mo to 16 yrs 2 mo) in Grades 6–8 who were classified as learning disabled in mathematics. Ss received training and solved problems over sessions. Ss in the 1st condition verbalized aloud while solving problems (continuous verbalization), those in the 2nd condition verbalized only during the 1st half of training (discontinued verbalization), and those in the 3rd condition did not verbalize (no verbalization). All Ss were periodically monitored and received effort feedback during the 1st half of training, effort feedback during the 2nd half of training, or no effort feedback. Findings show that continuous verbalization led to higher self-efficacy and skillful performance than did discontinued and no verbalization; providing effort feedback promoted these achievement behaviors more than not providing feedback did. Effort feedback during the 1st half of training enhanced effort attributions. The process by which verbalization promotes achievement outcomes is discussed. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loss of control drinking in alcoholics: An experimental analogue.

Presented 2 groups of 32 male 23-65 yr old nonabstinent alcoholics and social drinkers with an ad-lib supply of either alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverages in a taste-rating task. Ss were assigned to 1 of 2 instructional set conditions in which they were led to expect that the beverage to be rated contained alcohol (vodka and tonic) or consisted only of tonic. The actual beverage administered consisted of either vodka and tonic or tonic only. Results show that instructional set is a significant determinant of the amount of beverage consumed and posttask estimates of the alcoholic content of the drinks. The actual beverage administered did not significantly affect the drinking rates of either alcoholics or social drinkers. Loss-of-control drinking, in the form of increased consumption by alcoholics who were administered alcohol, did not occur during the drinking task. Results are discussed in terms of implications for treatment and for the conception of alcoholism as a disease. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of alcohol on aggression in male social drinkers.

Assigned 96 male undergraduates to 1 of 8 groups in a 2 * 2 * 2 factorial design. To control fully for expectation effects, 48 Ss were led to believe that they would be drinking alcohol (vodka and tonic), and 48 believed they would be drinking only tonic water. Within each of these 2 groups, 24 Ss actually received alcohol, but 24 were given only tonic. Following the beverage administration, 48 Ss were provoked to aggress by exposing them to an insulting confederate, whereas control Ss experienced a neutral interaction. Aggression was assessed by the intensity and duration of shocks administered to the confederate on a modified version of A. H. Buss's aggression apparatus. The only significant determinant of aggression was the expectation factor: Ss who believed they had consumed alcohol were more aggressive than Ss who believed they had consumed a nonalcoholic beverage, regardless of the actual alcohol content of the drinks. Ss receiving alcohol, however, showed a significant increase in a reaction time measure, regardless of the expectation condition. Provocation to aggress was also a significant determinant of aggression, but it did not interact with the beverage conditions. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-consciousness, self-esteem, and success–failure as determinants of alcohol consumption in male social drinkers.

Tested the proposition that alcohol is consumed as a function of the quality of past performances and of the individual's level of private self-consciousness. 120 adult male Ss were randomly given success or failure feedback on an intellectual task. They then participated in a separate "wine-tasting" experiment in which they were allowed to regulate alcohol consumption. As predicted, high self-conscious Ss who had received failure feedback drank significantly more than did high self-conscious Ss who received success feedback. Consumption by low self-conscious Ss fell between these extremes and did not vary as a function of success and failure. Ss' scores on the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List indicated that these results were mediated by differential sensitivity to the positive or negative implications of success/failure by high and low self-conscious Ss. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of alcohol and behavior contingencies on human aggression.

Determined the mediating effects of alcohol and behavior contingencies on aggression in male social drinkers. 72 18–35 yr old Ss were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 groups in a 3?×?2 factorial design. To control for alcohol and expectation effects, one third of the Ss received alcoholic beverages, one third received placebo drinks, and another third was not administered any beverages. Aggression was assessed by the intensity and duration of shocks administered to a bogus partner in a modification of the Buss aggression procedure. Half of the Ss were exposed to aversive contingencies correlated with their aggressive responses, and half received random aversive contingencies. The inebriated Ss were significantly more aggressive than the sober Ss. The former Ss displayed an equally aggressive pattern under both contingency conditions, whereas the nonintoxicated Ss displayed a differential response pattern affected by the contingency type. These findings are attributed to the disrupting effect of alcohol on information processing and to the mediating effect of contingencies on the nonintoxicated individuals' aggressive behavior. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expectancies, alcohol, and sexual arousal in male social drinkers.

Randomly assigned 40 undergraduate males, all social drinkers, to 1 of 2 expectation conditions in which they were led to believe that the beverage they were administered contained either vodka and tonic or tonic only. For half of the Ss in each expectation condition, the beverage contained vodka; the others drank only tonic. After their drinks, measures of penile tumescence were taken from Ss using a penile strain gauge during 2 erotic films, 1 depicting a heterosexual interaction, the other a male homosexual interaction. Although analyses of variance failed to reveal any effect of alcohol per se, there were significant effects of expectation on penile tumescence during both the heterosexual and homosexual films. Ss who believed that they had consumed an alcoholic beverage manifested significantly greater sexual arousal than those believing they had consumed a nonalcoholic beverage, regardless of the contents of their drinks. Although no consistent effects were observed on additional measures of sexual arousal, including the TAT, the Word Association Test, and forehead skin temperature, there was a significant positive correlation between self-report measures of sexual arousal and penile tumescence. (19 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)     

Effects of alcohol and expectancies on verbal aggression in men and women.

In Exp I, 48 male and 48 female heavy social-drinking undergraduates were assigned to beverage (vodka [.75 ml/kg] and tonic or only tonic) and beverage-expectancy (alcohol or tonic) conditions. Ss were provoked by a confederate's unfavorable evaluation and allowed to retaliate. In Exp II, Exp I was repeated using 44 males and 45 females and higher doses of ethanol (1.12 and 1.10 ml/kg, respectively, for males and females). In Exp III, an experimenter criticized 62 male drinkers (.9 ml/kg ethanol) who later evaluated the experimenter's job performance on a questionnaire for his employer. Results show that for Ss at higher doses and males at the lower dose, those expecting alcohol were significantly less aggressive and at higher doses felt happier than did Ss expecting only tonic. Actual alcohol consumption increased aggression only for females at the lower doses. It is concluded that alcohol by its pharmacologic action alone does not necessarily increase aggression at either a low or a moderately high dose. It is suggested that many of the reinforcements of alcohol use are due to the drinkers' cognition rather than the pharmacologic action of alcohol itself. (43 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Spatial and temporal information as cues in a time-sharing task.

Investigated the effects of directional and nondirectional cues on a task where 17 male undergraduates responded to moving visual stimuli that entered critical zones in each of 3 visual displays. Ss given directional cues that supplied spatial and temporal information performed significantly better than ss in the nondirectional group, who received only temporal cues, and a control group that did not receive any experimental cues. Furthermore, ss in the control group performed as well as ss given nondirectional cues. Thus, temporal cues did not lead to enhanced performance unless the display requiring attention was designated by a spatial cue. These data indicate that increased speed stress led to linear decrements in performance. (22 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Abstinence or controlled drinking goals for problem drinkers: A randomized clinical trial.

24 adult problem drinkers were assigned to brief behavioral treatment with either an abstinence (AB) or a controlled drinking (CD) goal. Self-report and collateral report data reflect significant overall reduction in alcohol consumption and projected blood alcohol peaks at 3-mo and at 3.5-yr follow-up intervals. AB and CD Ss did not differ significantly from each other on outcome variables at any point before or after treatment. At 3.5 yrs, 4 Ss had been abstinent for at least 12 mo, 3 had been moderate and asymptomatic drinkers for at least 12 mo, 5 were improved but still somewhat impaired, 8 were unimproved, 3 refused to be interviewed, and 1 could not be located. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Expectancy, alcohol, and sex guilt as determinants of interest in and reaction to sexual stimuli.

Selected 72 male undergraduate social drinkers from high, moderate, and low scorers on the Sex Guilt subscale of the Mosher Forced-Choice Guilt Scale. Ss were assigned to 1 of 4 conditions in a balanced-placebo design utilized to control for psychological as well as physiological factors determining the effects of drinking on behavior. After consuming beverages, Ss viewed and evaluated photographic slides of erotic content and then reported on their sexual arousal. The time Ss spent viewing each slide was unobtrusively recorded. Overall, greater sexual arousal was indicated by Ss who thought they had received alcoholic beverages, regardless of actual drink content. In all conditions except the high sex guilt/expect tonic groups, viewing times increased as a positive linear function of pornography ratings of the slides. Results demonstrate that psychological aspects of individual differences can mediate expectancy effects in research on alcohol and social behavior. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral treatment of Raynaud's disease.

32 20–65 yr olds with idiopathic Raynaud's disease were randomly assigned to receive finger temperature feedback, finger temperature feedback under cold stress, frontalis EMG feedback, or autogenic training. Ss receiving finger temperature feedback demonstrated significant temperature increases, without relaxation, during training and after the removal of feedback. A significant but smaller response was retained 1 yr later, accompanied by a 66.8% reduction in reported attacks. The addition of training under cold stress to temperature feedback significantly improved retention of voluntary vasodilation at follow-up and produced a 92.5% reduction in symptom frequency. These procedures did not change overall levels of tonic peripheral blood flow, recorded over 24 hrs in the natural environment. Following treatment, significantly colder temperatures were needed to produce attacks in these Ss compared to those who had received EMG feedback or autogenic training. These latter techniques produced the expected signs of decreased arousal but were significantly less effective than temperature feedback in increasing finger temperature or decreasing symptom frequency. Cognitive stress management did not significantly affect any procedure. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Drinking habits and expectancies about alcohol's effects for self versus others.

Administered an alcohol effects questionnaire and a measure of drinking practices to 150 college students. Ss consistently expected alcohol to affect other people more than themselves for both positive effects such as social or sexual pleasure and negative effects such as impairment, except that moderate and heavy drinkers expected as much social/physical pleasure from alcohol as they expected others to receive. Moderate and heavy drinkers expected alcohol to enhance their own social and sexual pleasure, aggression, and tension reduction more than did light drinkers but did not differ in expected aversive consequences, suggesting that differences in anticipated reinforcement are more salient than anticipated impairment in influencing drinking behavior. Women expected less pleasure and tension reduction and more cognitive and motor impairment from alcohol but did not differ from men in expected enhancement of sexual pleasure, aggression, or expressiveness when differences in drinking habits were statistically controlled. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fear of interpersonal evaluation as a determinant of alcohol consumption in male social drinkers.

Investigated the effects of fear of interpersonal evaluation on drinking behavior. 64 male undergraduates classified as heavy social drinkers were assigned to 1 of 8 conditions in a 2 * 2 * 2 factorial design. All Ss participated in a wine-tasting task designed as an unobtrusive measure of drinking behavior. Half of the Ss were led to believe that they would take part in a 2nd experiment in which they would be evaluated by a group of women, and half did not expect to be evaluated in the 2nd study. Ss were also classified as either internally or externally oriented based on their scores on the locus of control scale. For the 3rd factor, 1/2 of the Ss were given an opportunity to exercise some situational control prior to the impending evaluation, and 1/2 of them were deprived of this control. Results show that Ss expecting to be evaluated drank significantly more alcohol than low-fear controls, but the locus of control and situational control factors did not significantly affect drinking rates. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward unconfounding prediction and control: Predictionless control made possible.

Two studies (n?=?256) introduced (1) control (nocontrol) cues that conveyed the idea that Ss blindly chose which of 2 durations of an aversive stimulus they would receive and (2) prediction (PR) or no-PR cues that conveyed the idea that Ss did (or did not) know after the choice had been made which duration they would receive. Results show that Ss with control cues (predictive or predictionless) recognize this control and therefore rate their control of, influence over, responsibility for, and credit or blame regarding the outcome to be higher (and their helplessness about the outcome to be lower) than Ss with nocontrol cues. Ss with PR cues gave higher PR and control ratings than Ss with no-PR cues. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of feedback on the ability of asthmatic subjects to detect increases in the flow-resistive component to breathing.

Improved perception of increases in airflow resistance may have implications in asthma self management. Two experiments that evaluated effects of feedback on the detection of flow-resistive loads are summarized. In the 1st experiment, detection ability of asthma patients who received feedback about the correctness of their responses in a signal-detection task was compared with that of asthma patients who did not receive feedback. Exp 1 showed that Ss in the feedback condition detected the presence of flow-resistive loads more accurately than Ss in the no-feedback condition. In the 2nd experiment, effects of feedback were compared between asthmatic and non asthmatic Ss. Exp 2 showed that effects of feedback training were equivalent in Ss with and without asthma. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)