Social users of alcohol and cannabis who detect substance-related changes in a change blindness paradigm report higher levels of use than those detecting substance-neutral changes

Jones, B.C. , Jones, B.T., Blundell, L. and Bruce, G. (2002) Social users of alcohol and cannabis who detect substance-related changes in a change blindness paradigm report higher levels of use than those detecting substance-neutral changes. Psychopharmacology, 165(1), pp. 93-96.

Abstract

RATIONALE: Understanding the cognitions underpinning substance use has stalled using the Stroop paradigm. OBJECTIVE: To employ a novel version of the flicker paradigm for induced change blindness to independently compare information processing biases in social users of alcohol and cannabis. METHOD: Alcohol and cannabis experiments were independently run. In both, participants were asked to view successively and repeatedly on a monitor two versions of a visual scene (an original and a slightly changed version) until the change was detected. In fact, in both experiments two simultaneous changes competed for detection: a substanceneutral and a substance-related change. RESULTS: In both the alcohol and the cannabis experiments, participants detecting the substance-related change reported higher levels of use than those detecting the substance-neutral change. CONCLUSION: A substance-related processing bias was independently revealed for both substances. The utility of the flicker paradigm for substance use research is demonstrated as sensitive and quick to administer (taking only 1 min).

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Jones, Professor Benedict
• Authors: Jones, B.C., Jones, B.T., Blundell, L., and Bruce, G.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience
• Journal Name: Psychopharmacology
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 0033-3158
• ISSN (Online): 1432-2072
• Published Online: 01 November 2002