Monitoring drinking behaviour and motivation to drink over successive doses of alcohol

The objective of this study was to compare alcohol urge, drinking behaviour and mood across two beverage conditions (alcohol/soft drink), over multiple drinks. Forty-five (22 men) participants completed two conditions (alcohol/soft-drink). Baseline alcohol urge and mood was measured before an initial drink consumed (0.2 g/kg alcohol or lemonade). Four drinking phases, which provided alcohol and lemonade, followed. Alcohol urge, mood and liking/enjoyment of beverages were measured. Participants' typical drinking habits were recorded, allowing comparisons across drinking factors. Alcohol urge was greater in the alcohol condition (P<0.03), which positively correlated with liking and drinking enjoyment of the alcohol beverage (P<0.04). Binge drinking and weekly alcohol consumption positively related to alcohol urge during the first half of the alcohol condition (P<0.02). Feeling stimulated was positively related to alcohol urge (P<0.01). Sip latency was quickest for alcohol in the alcohol condition (P<0.001) and did not increase over time as in the soft-drink condition (P<0.001). This study presents a paradigm in which alcohol motivation can be assessed within more typical drinking occasion parameters. Urge related to alcohol's positive reinforcing effects. As more alcohol was consumed, a disassociation of liking and wanting alcohol occurred, indicating that different processes may underlie behaviour during different periods of a drinking occasion.