Social users of alcohol and cannabis who detect substance-related changes in a change blindness paradigm report higher levels of use than those detecting substance-neutral changes.
BACKGROUND
Understanding the cognitions underpinning substance use has stalled using the Stroop paradigm.


OBJECTIVE
To employ a novel version of the flicker paradigm for induced change blindness to independently compare information processing biases in social users of alcohol and cannabis.


METHODS
Alcohol and cannabis experiments were independently run. In both, participants were asked to view successively and repeatedly on a monitor two versions of a visual scene (an original and a slightly changed version) until the change was detected. In fact, in both experiments two simultaneous changes competed for detection: a substance-neutral and a substance-related change.


RESULTS
In both the alcohol and the cannabis experiments, participants detecting the substance-related change reported higher levels of use than those detecting the substance-neutral change.


CONCLUSIONS
A substance-related processing bias was independently revealed for both substances. The utility of the flicker paradigm for substance use research is demonstrated as sensitive and quick to administer (taking only 1 min).
Jones
Ben C
BC
School of Psychology, University of St. Andrews, UK. bcj@st-andrews.ac.uk
Jones
Barry T
BT
Blundell
Laura
L
Bruce
Gillian
G
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001364:Awareness / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*