title: The contributions of value-based decision-making and attentional bias to alcohol-seeking following devaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the mediating role of attentional bias for alcohol cues on alcohol-seeking following devaluation of alcohol.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between subject.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eye-tracking laboratory at the University of Liverpool.
  
  
  METHODS
  Student social drinkers (n = 64).
  
  
  METHODS
  An operant choice task in which participants chose between simultaneously presented alcohol and non-alcohol drink rewards, while attentional bias for alcohol and non-alcohol drink cues was inferred from eye movements. Participants then consumed 30 mL of an alcoholic beverage, which was either presented alone (no devaluation: n = 32) or had been adulterated to taste unpleasant (devaluation: n = 32). Choice and attentional bias for the alcohol and non-alcohol drink pictures were then measured again.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcohol devaluation reduced behavioural choice for alcohol (F = 32.64, P < 0.001) and attentional bias for the alcohol pictures indexed by dwell time (F = 22.68, P < 0.001), initial fixation (F = 7.08, P = 0.01) and final fixation (F = 22.44, P < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that attentional bias partially mediated the effect of devaluation on alcohol choice; however, the proportion of the variance accounted for by attentional bias is low to moderate (~30%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among student social drinkers, attentional bias is only a partial mediator of alcohol choice following devaluation of alcohol. Value-based decision-making may be a more important determinant of drinking behaviour among student social drinkers than attentional bias.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. abirose@liv.ac.uk
authors.forename: Abigail K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Field
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hogarth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D001288:Attention; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003463:Cues; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012919:Social Behavior; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult