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Cost Factors Controlling Alcoholic Drinking

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Abstract

Alcoholic Ss were given access to alcohol under experimental conditions. Varying the cost of drinking was effective in modifying Ss’ drinking behavior. In Eperiment I, Ss operated a switch on a fixed-ratio schedule to earn alcohol. At higher ratio values, drinking was reduced, occasionally to zero. In Experiment II the number of tokens required to purchase drinks increased if Ss drank more than 2 drinks per hour. This resulted in greater temporal spacing of drinks. In these experiments both the amount consumed and the temporal pattern of consumption were modified. Control was exerted both by immediately prevailing conditions and future consequences. Alcoholic drinking is not an uncontrollable process, but is modifiable by environmental contingencies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Baltimore City Hospitals, Baltimore, Maryland, 21224, USA

    George Bigelow & Ira Liebson

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  1. George Bigelow
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  2. Ira Liebson
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This research was supported by NIMH Grant MH-14251 to Baltimore City Hospitals.

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Bigelow, G., Liebson, I. Cost Factors Controlling Alcoholic Drinking. Psychol Rec 22, 305–314 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03394095

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