Alcohol, expectancy and stress: Methodological concerns with the expectancy design

Bradlyn, Andrew S.; Strickler, Daniel P.; Maxwell, Wayne A.

doi:10.1016/s0306-4603(81)80001-9

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Unfortunately, suspicion in the placebo condition, and especially in the antiplacebo condition (when alcohol is ingested but is not expected) is often rampant, with rates of suspicion reaching 60% or even 90% in some studies based on BPD (Bradlyn, Strickler, & Maxwell, 1981;Keane, Lisman, & Kreutzer, 1980;Lyvers & Maltzman, 1991;Martin & Sayette, 1993). Moreover, manipulation checks may themselves induce experimental demand (Collins & Searles, 1988;Knight, Barbaree, & Boland, 1986;1988).…”

Section: The Balanced Placebo Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

A message in a bottle: Extrapharmacological effects of alcohol on aggression

Bègue

Subra

Arvers³

et al. 2009

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

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Section: The Balanced Placebo Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

A message in a bottle: Extrapharmacological effects of alcohol on aggression

Bègue

Subra

Arvers³

et al. 2009

Journal of Experimental Social Psychology

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“…Table 1 lists studies that according to their respective methods sections, did not provide subjects with specific information about a stressor before drink administration. For example, subjects were informed that the study was concerned with the effects of alcohol on "personality, performance, and various behaviors" (Bradlyn et al, 1981).…”

Section: Appraisal-disruption Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

An appraisal-disruption model of alcohol's effects on stress responses in social drinkers.

Sayette¹

1993

Psychological Bulletin

299

329

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This article reviews the effects of alcohol on stress responses among social drinkers. Despite considerable research, the relationship between alcohol and stress has remained unclear. An appraisal-disruption model of alcohol's effects on stress responses is proposed, which attempts to integrate many divergent findings. According to this model, alcohol disrupts initial appraisal of stressful information by constraining the spread of activation of associated information previously established in long-term memory. The conditions under which such disruption is likely to occur are outlined. Evidence relevant to each of the model's propositions is considered. It is concluded that the appraisal-disruption model provides a framework for integrating many of the findings from past investigations. Theoretical issues pertinent to the model are addressed.

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“…The expectancy did not reduce responses to the stress task. Bradlyn et al (1981) similarly found that expectancy of alcohol alone did not reduce stress-induced anxiety. In another study, however, Balodis et al (2011) found that the expectancy of receiving alcohol had effects similar to actually receiving alcohol.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Alcohol decreased both subjective (ratings of anxiety during the task) and cardiovascular (HR) indices of stress. Bradlyn et al (1981) conducted a similar study in moderate drinkers and the alcohol-treated subjects were rated by a panel of two judges to be less anxious. Sher and Walitzer (1986) examined the effects of two doses of alcohol (0.42 g/kg, 0.85 g/kg) on cardiovascular and subjective responses to a speech stressor.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pharmacological challenge studies with acute psychosocial stress

Hedger

Bershad

Wit

2017

Psychoneuroendocrinology

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Chronic stress is known to affect many psychiatric disorders, and studies of responses to acute stress may reveal processes that ultimately lead to maladaptive responses to chronic stress. Many studies have used simulated public speaking tasks to induce stress in the laboratory and, of interest to this review, the tasks have been used to assess the effects of both therapeutic and nonmedical drugs on stress reactivity. Here we review 38 studies that examined effects of single doses of drugs on subjective, cardiovascular and hormonal responses to an acute social stressor in healthy volunteers. Most studies have used the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), or variations on it involving public speaking or mental arithmetic. Pharmacological studies with the TSST (ph-TSST) have been conducted for three main reasons: i) to determine the clinical effectiveness of psychiatric medications to reduce stress responses, ii) to investigate the neurochemical mechanisms involved in the stress response, and iii) to determine whether drugs of abuse relieve, or occasionally worsen, responses to acute stress. The review indicates that standard anxiolytic medications consistently reduce subjective responses to the TSST, whereas single doses of antidepressants produce mixed effects. Mechanistic studies indicate that several neurotransmitter systems are involved in the stress response, including serotonin, norepinephrine, GABA, glutamate, opioids, and endocannabinoids. Among drugs of abuse, alcohol and cannabinoids exert some stress-dampening effects, whereas caffeine, nicotine, and amphetamines tend to increase stress responses. Comparing outcome measures of the responses to stress, subjective ratings of anxiety are among the most sensitive indices of the stress response, with cortisol levels second and cardiovascular responses least sensitive. We conclude that the TSST is a valuable tool to study the clinical effectiveness of medications for stress-related disorders, and that it is important to use standardized procedures to enable comparisons across studies.

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Alcohol, expectancy and stress: Methodological concerns with the expectancy design

Cited by 20 publications

References 17 publications

A message in a bottle: Extrapharmacological effects of alcohol on aggression

A message in a bottle: Extrapharmacological effects of alcohol on aggression

An appraisal-disruption model of alcohol's effects on stress responses in social drinkers.

Pharmacological challenge studies with acute psychosocial stress

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