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The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans

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Distractibility moderates the relation between automatic alcohol motivation and drinking behavior.

Suzan R Farris¹, Brian D Ostafin, Tibor P Palfai

¹Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA.

Psychology of Addictive Behaviors : Journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors

|March 24, 2010

Summary

Self-control, specifically the ability to inhibit responses to distractions, influences alcohol use. Poor self-control amplifies the link between automatic motivation for alcohol and actual drinking behavior.

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Area of Science:

Psychology
Neuroscience
Behavioral Science

Background:

Alcohol use is influenced by automatic motivational responses to alcohol cues.
Individual differences in self-control play a significant role in regulating behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if self-control, particularly response inhibition to distractors, moderates the relationship between automatic alcohol motivation and alcohol consumption.
To understand the interplay between automatic processes and executive functions in hazardous drinking.

Main Methods:

Eighty-seven hazardous drinkers participated in the study.
Baseline assessments included measures of automatic alcohol motivation and trait self-control.
Alcohol consumption was self-reported at a 6-week follow-up.

Main Results:

Regression analyses revealed a significant interaction effect.
Higher distractibility was associated with a stronger positive relationship between automatic alcohol motivation and alcohol use.
This indicates that impaired inhibition exacerbates the impact of automatic alcohol cues on drinking.

Conclusions:

Self-control resources, specifically the ability to inhibit responses, can mitigate the influence of automatic motivational processes on alcohol behavior.
Findings highlight the importance of executive functions in managing problematic alcohol use and inform potential intervention targets.