'Getting into the spirit': alcohol-related interpretation bias in heavy-drinking students.
Alcohol misuse is characterized by patterns of selective information processing. The present study investigated whether heavy- compared with light-drinking students, show evidence of an alcohol-related interpretation bias to ambiguous, alcohol-related cues. Toward this aim, participants were asked to create continuations for ambiguous, open-ended scenarios that provided either an alcohol-related or neutral context. Results showed that heavy-drinking students generated more alcohol continuations for ambiguous alcohol-related scenarios than light-drinking students. This result was independent of the coding method used, with an interpretation bias found when continuations were coded by either participants themselves or by two independent raters.
Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. m.woud@psych.ru.nl
Marcella L
ML
Woud
Daniel A
DA
Fitzgerald
Reinout W
RW
Wiers
Mike
M
Rinck
Eni S
ES
Becker
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology*; D001245:Association Learning; D001290:Attitude; D001364:Awareness; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D003463:Cues; D003469:Culture; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes; D011939:Mental Recall; D012932:Social Facilitation; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult