Nonassociative mechanisms in preferences for alcoholic flavors: Differences between sons of alcoholics and sons of nonalcoholics

Abstract

We studied nonassociative processes in the development of preferences for wine flavors in high- and low-risk groups for alcoholism. Twenty college-age sons of nonalcoholics had greater “Liking” ratings for red wine flavors to which they had 20 prior exposures in the laboratory than flavors to which they had been exposed five times or zero times. Fourteen sons of alcoholics did not show this mere exposure effect. The results indicate differences between high- and low-risk groups for alcoholism in the nonassociative process by which preference for particular alcoholic flavors is established.