Alcohol expectancy and conditioning in sons of alcoholics

This paper presents an overview of research performed in the context of a classical conditioning model of addiction to alcohol. College age sons of alcoholics were administered placebo in a single session or alcohol in repeated sessions in the laboratory. Sons of alcoholics had enhanced autonomic responses to placebo that were opposite in direction to the effect of alcohol, and they showed reverse tolerance to alcohol in three conditioning sessions. These studies are discussed in relation to theories of addiction to alcohol and a speculative model of risk for alcoholism.