Alcohol use disorder symptoms are associated with greater relative value ascribed to alcohol, but not greater discounting of costs imposed on alcohol

Abstract

Rationale: Alcohol dependence is characterised by persistent drinking despite health, social and economic costs. Behavioural economics has proposed two explanations for the persistence of alcohol use despite costs. Dependent individuals may (a) ascribe excessively high value to alcohol, such that costs associated with alcohol are exceeded, and/or (b) they may discount (neglect) the costs associated with alcohol. Methods: To test these predictions, the current study recruited 127 student drinkers who reported varied alcohol use disorder symptom severity in the Alcohol Use Disorders Inventory Test (AUDIT; mean = 11.17, 69% above the hazardous cutoff). Participants made concurrent forced choices between alcohol and food points under conditions that manipulated the magnitude of points (1, 2 or 3) and the delay to receive points (0 or 3 s). Alcohol value was indexed by preferential choice of alcohol versus food points, whereas sensitivity to costs was indexed by the decrease in alcohol choice when food points were of greater magnitude (sensitivity to opportunity costs) and when alcohol points were delayed (sensitivity to delay costs). Results: Percent choice of alcohol over food varied consistently with the relative magnitude of reward points offered (p