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Acute alcohol effects on explicit and implicit motivation to drink alcohol in socially drinking adolescents

Jünger, Elisabeth, Javadi, Amir-Homayoun, Wiers, Corinde E., Sommer, Christian, Garbusow, Maria, Bernhardt, Nadine, Kuitunen-Paul, Sören, Smolka, Michael N., Zimmermann, Ulrich S. (2017) Acute alcohol effects on explicit and implicit motivation to drink alcohol in socially drinking adolescents. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 31 (7). pp. 893-905. ISSN 0269-8811. E-ISSN 1461-7285. (doi:10.1177/0269881117691454) (KAR id:64274)

Abstract

Alcohol-related cues can evoke explicit and implicit motivation to drink alcohol. Concerning the links between explicit and implicit motivation, there are mixed findings. Therefore, we investigated both concepts in 51 healthy 18- to 19-year-old males, who are less affected by neuropsychological deficits in decision-making that are attributed to previous alcohol exposure than older participants. In a randomized crossover design, adolescents were infused with either alcohol or placebo. Self-ratings of alcohol desire, thirst, well-being and alcohol effects comprised our explicit measures of motivation. To measure implicit motivation, we used money and drink stimuli in a Pavlovian conditioning (Pc) task and an Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT). Alcohol administration increased explicit motivation to drink alcohol, reduced Pc choices of alcoholic drink-conditioned stimuli, but had no effect on the AAT. This combination of results might be explained by differences between goal-directed and habitual behavior or a temporary reduction in rewarding outcome expectancies. Further, there was no association between our measures of motivation to drink alcohol, indicating that both self-reported motivation to drink and implicit approach tendencies may independently contribute to adolescents’ actual alcohol intake. Correlations between Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores and our measures of motivation to drink alcohol suggest that interventions should target high-risk adolescents after alcohol intake.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1177/0269881117691454
Uncontrolled keywords: Computer-Assisted Infusion System (CAIS), approach bias, Pavlovian conditioning, lexical decision task, money and drink stimuli
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: Amir-Homayoun Javadi
Date Deposited: 06 Nov 2017 09:39 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2024 19:03 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/64274 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Javadi, Amir-Homayoun.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0569-6441
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