College students are more likely to engaged in high-risk drinking behaviors like binge drinking (consuming more than 4 drinks in a single session) compared to other age groups. Cognitive processes are known to play a role in how we process alcohol-related stimuli and related memory associations. This has led researchers to investigate how we can alter these cognitive processes to reduce alcohol use. One of these methods is known as attentional bias modification (AtBM) which focuses on training participants to pivot their attention away from alcohol-related cues. This study examines the effectiveness of a web-based alcohol AtBM procedure on attention bias (AB) for negative alcohol-related expectancies in college students who report binge drinking.
The study’s sample consisted of 43 college students who reported at binge drinking during the past month. Randomization was performed to divide participants into two groups. Participants then completed five web-based sessions over a three week period focused on AtBM toward negative alcohol-related expectancies or sham-training (control). Alcohol consumption was measured during pretraining (T1) and one month after completing the sessions (T2). AB for negative alcohol-related expectancies was evaluated during pretraining (session 1), immediately post training (session 6), and one month after completing the training (session 7). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and a paired-sample t test.
Results of the data analysis showed there was no significant difference in AB for negative alcohol-related expectancies immediately after the sessions for both the experimental and control group. The experimental AtBM group did have greater AB for negative alcohol-related expectancies at one-month follow-up compared to the control group. There were no significant differences in binge drinking frequency for either group at one month follow-up.
Takeaway: Alcohol-related attentional bias modification may result in delayed effects on attention bias for negative alcohol-related expectancies in college students who report binge drinking.