Acute emotional rewards of alcohol predict problem drinking

Abstract

The emotional rewards of alcohol, however difficult to quantify, have long been accepted as a key factor in reinforcing problematic drinking. Survey methods have traditionally used participant recall of experiences, suggesting that self‐reported motivations predict problem drinking. Enhancing of positive mood and reducing of negative mood, properties of alcohol consumption, could predict later drinking problems. A recent study is the first to combine alcohol administration in a laboratory and longitudinal follow‐ups, focusing on young people.