Flavour conditioning and alcohol: a multilevel model of individual differences

Abstract

Previous research shows that dependent drinkers respond more strongly to alcohol-related cues and suggests that alcohol cue-reactivity may be relevant to understanding dependence liability. However, a significant weakness in many studies is the fact that cue-reactivity is studied without actually conditioning subjects; responses to alcohol-related cues are simply assumed to be conditioned responses. The current report attempts to overcome this weakness by studying alcohol cue-reactivity following a flavour-conditioning procedure. A statistical model of individual differences in cue-reactivity was constructed using previous alcohol exposure, alcohol tolerance, and personality as predictor variables. Although there was no evidence for overall differences in subjective and psychophysiological responses to alcohol and soft-drink paired flavours, there were marked individual differences in responding to the different flavours. The statistical model showed that reward sensitivity (high extroversion, high neuroticism), heavier levels of drinking, and higher levels of tolerance to the intoxicating effects of alcohol were associated with lower levels of skin conductance in the presence of alcohol paired flavours.