Consequences of behavior influence the effect of alcohol

Four groups of six male social drinkers learned a complex psychomotor task and then performed it 20 times after drinking a dose of 0.60 g alcohol/kg. Group C received money contingent on the display of nonimpaired performance under alcohol. Group I received a less valuable outcome (information only). Group R received money scheduled randomly with respect to compensatory performance, and group N received no outcome for performance under drug. A briefer duration of impairment, faster recovery at higher BACs, and less impairment during declining alcohol levels was displayed by group C, followed in order by I, R, and N, which displayed least resistance to alcohol. These results are consistent with other evidence demonstrating that these particular treatments have a similar effect on chronic alcohol tolerance. Taken together, the findings imply that the learned expectation of some valuable consequence for drug compensatory performance enhances behavioral tolerance to single and repeated doses of alcohol.