A multimodal, longitudinal investigation of alcohol’s emotional rewards and alcohol consumption over time in young adults
type: CreativeWork
description: Theories of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) have long suggested that alcohol's emotional rewards play a key role in reinforcing problematic drinking. Studies employing survey methods, in which participants recall and aggregate their experiences with alcohol in a single questionnaire, indicate that self-reported expectancies and motivations surrounding alcohol’s emotional rewards predict problematic drinking trajectories over time. But, to date, no longitudinal research has directly assessed participants’ emotional responses to alcohol as a predictor of drinking outcomes. The current study combines laboratory alcohol-administration, ambulatory methods, and longitudinal follow-ups to assess whether alcohol’s ability to enhance positive mood and relieve negative mood predicts later drinking problems. Sixty heavy social drinkers (50% female) participated in laboratory-based alcohol-administration, attending both alcohol (target BAC .08%) and no-alcohol laboratory sessions. Forty-eight of these participants also wore transdermal alcohol monitors—calibrated for each participant via laboratory alcohol-administration—and completed mood surveys outside the laboratory for 7-days. Participants reported on their drinking at 18-month follow-up (90% compliance). Controlling for baseline drinking, greater negative mood relief from alcohol at baseline predicted more drinking problems at follow-up, an effect that emerged as consistent across methods capturing alcohol’s emotional rewards in the laboratory, b=-.23, p=.03, as well as via ambulatory methods, b=-1.81, p=.02. Greater positive mood enhancement from alcohol, captured via laboratory methods, also predicted drinking problems, b=.17, p=.01, and binge drinking, b= 2.04, p=.01, at follow-up. Models examining drinking frequency/quantity were non-significant. Results provide initial support for emotional reward as a potential factor in the development of problematic drinking.
abstract: Theories of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) have long suggested that alcohol's emotional rewards play a key role in reinforcing problematic drinking. Studies employing survey methods, in which participants recall and aggregate their experiences with alcohol in a single questionnaire, indicate that self-reported expectancies and motivations surrounding alcohol’s emotional rewards predict problematic drinking trajectories over time. But, to date, no longitudinal research has directly assessed participants’ emotional responses to alcohol as a predictor of drinking outcomes. The current study combines laboratory alcohol-administration, ambulatory methods, and longitudinal follow-ups to assess whether alcohol’s ability to enhance positive mood and relieve negative mood predicts later drinking problems. Sixty heavy social drinkers (50% female) participated in laboratory-based alcohol-administration, attending both alcohol (target BAC .08%) and no-alcohol laboratory sessions. Forty-eight of these participants also wore transdermal alcohol monitors—calibrated for each participant via laboratory alcohol-administration—and completed mood surveys outside the laboratory for 7-days. Participants reported on their drinking at 18-month follow-up (90% compliance). Controlling for baseline drinking, greater negative mood relief from alcohol at baseline predicted more drinking problems at follow-up, an effect that emerged as consistent across methods capturing alcohol’s emotional rewards in the laboratory, b=-.23, p=.03, as well as via ambulatory methods, b=-1.81, p=.02. Greater positive mood enhancement from alcohol, captured via laboratory methods, also predicted drinking problems, b=.17, p=.01, and binge drinking, b= 2.04, p=.01, at follow-up. Models examining drinking frequency/quantity were non-significant. Results provide initial support for emotional reward as a potential factor in the development of problematic drinking.
author: Venerable, III, Walter James
language: en
keywords: Alcohol, Emotion, Longitudinal, Laboratory, Ambulatory
date published: 2020-03-02T22:12:10Z
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:45Z
provider: University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/2142/106323