The effects of alcohol cues and an alcohol priming dose on a multi-factorial measure of subjective cue reactivity in social drinkers.
BACKGROUND
Exploring subjective alcohol cue reactivity in non-clinical samples should assist understanding in clinical samples where additional problems muddy the water. However, exploration is stalled through using insensitive, single-item representations.


OBJECTIVE
The effect of alcohol cues and a priming dose of alcohol on a new multi-factorial representation of cue reactivity is sought (DAQ, Desire for Alcohol Questionnaire).


METHODS
Prime and Cue exposure are variables in a standard 2x2 between subjects design set within a stooge taste-evaluation experiment. The DAQ was administered after a Prime and Cue exposure phase.


RESULTS
Main effects for Cue exposure but not Prime were found for the DAQ total and the subscales Mild desires (positively reinforcing items) and Strong desires/intentions but not Negative reinforcement (negatively reinforcing items) and Controllability; however, there was no interaction.


CONCLUSIONS
The DAQ is a sensitive measure of subjective cue reactivity in social drinkers and its potential in the evaluation of pharmacological interventions is proposed.
Schulze
D
D
Department of Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, UK.
Jones
B T
BT
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D003463:Cues; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D000431:Ethanol