The effects of alcohol cues and an alcohol priming dose on a multi-factorial measure of subjective cue reactivity in social drinkers

Rationale: Exploring subjective alcohol cue reactivity in non-clinical samples should assist understanding in clinical samples where additional problems muddy the water. However, exploration is stalled through using insensitive, single-item representations. Objective: The effect of alcohol cues and a priming dose of alcohol on a new multi-factorial representation of cue reactivity is sought (DAQ, Desire for Alcohol Questionnaire). Methods: Prime and Cue exposure are variables in a standard 2x2 between subjects design set within a stooge taste-evaluation experiment. The DAQ was administered after a Prime and Cue exposure phase. Results: Main effects for Cue exposure but not Prime were found for the DAQ total and the subscales Mild desires (positively reinforcing items) and Strong desires/intentions but not Negative reinforcement (negatively reinforcing items) and Controllability; however, there was no interaction. Conclusion: The DAQ is a sensitive measure of subjective cue reactivity in social drinkers and its potential in the evaluation of pharmacological interventions is proposed.