THE AVERSIVE CONTROL OF EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION BY CHRONIC ALCOHOLICS IN THE LABORATORY SETTING1

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Abstract
The efficacy of several methods of aversive control of excessive alcoholic drinking was investigated in a semi‐naturalistic setting that permitted objective measurement of the drinking behavior of chronic alcoholics. Studies 1A and 1B compared an escape‐conditioning procedure with a control procedure in which aversive electrical shocks were administered before drinking. Neither procedure effectively decreased subjects' pretreatment, baseline alcoholic drinking behavior. In Study 2, aversive response‐contingent shocks effectively suppressed alcoholic drinking, but drinking subsequently returned to its former levels after withdrawal of punishment. Self‐administered shock appeared to be as effective as experimenter‐administered punishment for controlling drinking, even when the punishment contingency was faded out over time. Study 3 replicated the suppressant effect of punishment, and demonstrated that contingent shock was significantly more effective than yoked, noncontingent shock. A direct comparison of self‐ versus experimenter‐administered punishment suggested a possible slight advantage for the latter.

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