Learning alcohol tolerance: the contribution of response expectancies

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Abstract
This paper reviews research on tolerance developed by task practice under alcohol, and concludes that tolerance in such a situation is influenced by the environmental consequence of drug-compensatory performance. Analysis of the evidence proposes that a learned association between the response and its consequence results in a response expectancy. When the consequence of drug-compensatory performance is more valuable, more tolerance is displayed. Support for this learning analysis is provided by some recent alcohol research indicating that response expectancies affecting tolerance can also be acquired by mental rehearsal of performance and its outcome under drug. Further, these response expectancies may be acquired during the course of a single drug dose, and may alter the display of acute tolerance to alcohol. Additional theoretical predictions are discussed, and the possible social and clinical relevance of the evidence is considered.