Conditioned “Cross Fading”: The Incentive Motivational Effects of Mediated-Polysubstance Pairings on Alcohol, Marijuana, and Junk Food Craving

Abstract

The bulk of mass media and substance cue research has examined the processes and effects of substance cue images in isolation under controlled experimental conditions. However, little attention has been devoted to delineating the specific outcomes associated with simultaneous polysubstance depictions. This study experimentally examined whether alcohol, marijuana, and junk food mediated cues influence craving independently and whether craving for these substances is co-facilitated by simultaneous polysubstance cue depictions. At a laboratory session, participants reported their craving to substance cues in isolation and when paired with one another. The results from this study support the incentive sensitization model and polysubstance literature indicating that alcohol and marijuana cues facilitate craving for both alcohol and marijuana above and beyond when alcohol and marijuana cues are depicted in isolation for high and low users of each substance. Junk food craving was not facilitated by alcohol and marijuana cues. Theoretically, this study supports the notion that simultaneous and repeated use of multiple substances results in greater hypersensitivity and craving to mediated polysubstance cues than the cues in isolation. Practically, this study provides a word of caution for researchers examining craving responses to mediated substance cue messages and recommendations for health professionals and message designers.