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Perceptual reactance, drug preference, and electrodermal activity in treatment-seeking substance abusers
1UCLA School of Nursing, Acute Care Section 90095-6918, USA. pcompton@sonnet.ucla.edu
Issues in Mental Health Nursing
|June 6, 2000
Summary
Perceptual reactance (PR) influences drug choice in substance abusers. Individuals with lower PR may prefer stimulants, while those with higher PR may prefer depressants, but this was only seen in responsive participants.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Perceptual reactance (PR) involves modulating sensory stimuli.
- PR may influence substance abuse and drug preference.
- An adaptive model suggests varying drug preferences based on PR levels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate perceptual reactance as a factor in drug abuse.
- To test the hypothesis that drug preference correlates with PR.
- To differentiate between perceptual reducers and augmenters in substance abusers.
Main Methods:
- Assessed PR using the Reducing-Augmenting Scale (subjective) and electrodermal responses (objective).
- Studied 122 treatment-seeking substance abusers, stratified by abstinence.
- Examined the relationship between PR measures and drug preference (stimulants vs. opioids/sedatives).
Main Results:
- The hypothesis was supported only in the electrodermally-responsive subgroup.
- A high rate of electrodermal non-responsivity was observed in the sample.
- Perceptual reducers showed a preference for experience-expanding drugs, and augmenters for sensory-restricting drugs, within the responsive group.
Conclusions:
- Perceptual reactance may play a role in drug preference, but its effect is contingent on physiological responsiveness.
- Electrodermal non-responsivity is a notable finding requiring further investigation in substance abuse populations.
- PR-based drug preference models may need refinement to account for individual differences in sensory processing and responsiveness.
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