The Phenomenology of Alcohol Cue-Reactivity: A Partial Replication and Extension

Addiction researchers have emphasized that an important element of the subjective craving construct is phenomenology. A recent study conducted by Kambouropoulos and Rock (2009-2010) experimentally investigated individual differences in the phenomenology of alcohol cue-reactivity and found that various phenomenological effects were significantly more intense for the neutral (i.e., water) cue compared to the alcohol cue (i.e., the participant's favorite beverage). These results appear incongruent with the ostensibly neutral nature of the water cue and may be an artefact of sequencing effects associated with standard cue-reactivity protocols. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to partially replicate Kambouropoulos and Rock's study by experimentally assessing individual variation in the phenomenology of alcohol cue-reactivity using counterbalanced sequences of neutral cue and alcohol cue presentation. Fifty-eight participants were exposed to counterbalanced sequences of neutral and alcohol cues, and urge to drink and phenomenological responses were measured. Findings indicated that exposure to the alcohol stimulus produced significant changes in volitional control, altered awareness, attention, and joy. These results suggest that examining the phenomenology of alcohol cue presentation may provide additional insights into the nature of alcohol cue responses. Finally, the results appeared to provide preliminary support for the utility of counter-balancing neutral cue and alcohol cue presentation.