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Original article

Alcohol Homograph Priming in Alcohol-Dependent Inpatients

Published Online:August 30, 2016https://doi.org/10.1024/0939-5911/a000432

Abstract

Abstract.Aim: Alcohol dependency is characterized by alcohol-related interpretation biases (IBs): Individuals with high levels of alcohol consumption generate more alcohol-related than alcohol-unrelated interpretations in response to ambiguous alcohol-related cues. However, a response bias could be an alternative account, meaning that individuals with high levels of alcohol consumption generate more alcohol-related IBs because of a greater baseline tendency to endorse alcohol-related responses. Methods: To test this alternative explanation, the present study employed a homograph-priming task, reliability of which was also examined. The sample included 577 clinically diagnosed alcohol-dependent inpatients and 61 control inpatients. Participants completed a homograph priming task (primes: homographs with and without an alcohol-related meaning, target words: alcohol and soft drinks) before commencing their behavioral cognitive treatment at a rehabilitation clinic. Results: Contrary to our expectations, we did not find an enhanced priming effect in alcohol-dependent inpatients. Moreover, there was no correlation between the priming score and levels of harmful drinking (AUDIT scores). Conclusions: The data provide limited support for the existence of alcohol-related IBs, possibly because of the low reliability of the priming task, the features of the task, and the study’s design.


Alkohol “Homograph Priming“ bei alkoholabhängigen Patienten

Zusammenfassung.Zielsetzung: Zahlreiche Studien belegen, dass Alkoholmissbrauch und -abhängigkeit mit alkohol-bezogenen Interpretationsverzerrungen einhergehen. Diese beinhalten, dass Individuen, die übermäßig trinken, die Neigung haben, mehrdeutige, potenziell alkoholrelevante Reize öfter auf alkoholbezogene als auf neutrale Weise zu interpretieren. Unklar ist jedoch, in wie weit diese Befunde auch durch eine Antworttendenz erklärt werden können: Es könnte sein, dass Individuen, die viel trinken, mehr alkoholbezogene Interpretationen generieren, weil sie generell eine stärkere Tendenz haben, alkoholbezogene Antworten zu geben. Um diese alternative Erklärung zu testen, wurde die vorliegende Studie durchgeführt. Methodik: Die Stichprobe umfasste 577 klinisch diagnostizierte alkoholabhängige Patienten und 61 Kontrollpatienten. Alle Patienten absolvierten eine “Homograph Priming“ Aufgabe, und zwar vor ihrer stationären Therapie. Als Primes wurden Homographen eingesetzt, die alkoholrelevant verstanden werden können (Kater, Fahne) oder nicht (Bank, Fliege). Alkoholische und nicht-alkoholische Getränke dienten als Targets (z. B. Bier, Wein, Wasser, Cola). Ergebnisse: Es wurde erwartet, dass alkoholabhängige Patienten alkoholische Targets schneller kategorisieren, wenn zuvor potentiell alkoholrelevante Primes dargeboten wurden, im Vergleich zu Durchgängen, bei denen alkoholirrelevante Primes gezeigt wurden. Die Ergebnisse konnten den erwarteten Priming Effekt jedoch nicht bestätigen. Zudem gab es keinen Zusammenhang zwischen den Reaktionszeiten in der Priming Aufgabe und dem Maß der Alkoholabhängigkeit (AUDIT-Werte). Schlussfolgerungen: Die vorliegenden Daten bieten wenig Unterstützung für die Rolle von alkoholbezogenen Interpretationsverzerrungen bei Alkoholabhängigkeit. Sowohl die Reliabilität der Priming-Aufgabe, als auch ihre Eigenschaften und das Studiendesign könnten Erklärungsansätze für die Ergebnisse bieten. Die Ergebnisse könnten jedoch auch ein erster Hinweis dafür sein, dass den alkoholbezogenen Interpretationsverzerrungen in der Tat eine Antworttendenz zu Grunde liegt. Um diese Aussage zu stützen, sind jedoch Replikations- und Erweiterungsstudien nötig.

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