Assessing the stimulant and sedative effects of alcohol with explicit and implicit measures in a balanced placebo design

Objective: Alcohol consumption is characterized by biphasic
stimulant and sedative effects. In previous studies, various tools
were used to assess these effects, including expectancy questionnaires,
implicit association tests, and self-report scales. The present study was
aimed at clarifying the relationships between these measures. Method:
Three different measures were used to directly or indirectly assess the
stimulant and sedative effects of alcohol in 61 undergraduate students.
The participants completed the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire
(AEQ) and performed two unipolar Implicit Association Tasks to assess
implicit associations between alcohol and the concepts of “stimulation”
and “sedation.” The levels of alcohol consumption also were recorded
by means of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identifi cation Test. An alcohol
(0.4 g/kg) or placebo challenge was then administered using a balanced
placebo design. After alcohol/placebo administration, the participants
completed the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (BAES). Results: Alcohol
consumption signifi cantly correlated with AEQ alcohol explicit expectancies
of arousal and relaxation, whereas no signifi cant correlations
were obtained with the implicit associations. There were positive correlations
between AEQ and BAES subscales, especially for the arousal
subscale of the AEQ. Self-reported sedation recorded with the BAES
was signifi cantly affected by what the participants believed that they had
drunk but not by the actual consumption of alcohol. Conclusions: These
fi ndings indicate that alcohol explicit expectancies of arousal measured
with the AEQ best predict current alcohol consumption. Regarding explicit
measures of alcohol-induced stimulation and sedation, BAES subscales
seem to be more affected by alcohol drinking expectations than by
actual alcohol consumption.