The impact of post-encoding alcohol consumption on episodic memory recall and remember-know responses in heavy drinkers

Butterworth, B., Hand, C. J. , Lorimer, K. and Gawrylowicz, J. (2023) The impact of post-encoding alcohol consumption on episodic memory recall and remember-know responses in heavy drinkers. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1007477. (doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1007477)

Abstract

Introduction: People often consume alcohol following trauma, particularly in response to distressing memories. To date, little is known about how post-encoding alcohol consumption influences episodic memory recall for negative events. Understanding these effects may help to improve support for trauma victims – for example, witnesses and victims of crimes. Methods: We tested 60 participants who self-described as heavy drinkers. After watching an analog trauma film, half were allocated to consuming a moderate dose of alcohol (Alcohol-Exposed group), while half received a placebo drink (Placebo-Control group). Immediately and after a one-week delay, participants recalled the event via free and cued recall tasks. Participants also gave remember-know responses and confidence ratings, elucidating alcohol’s effect on experiential memory. Results: Free recall performance was similar for the Alcohol-Exposed group and the Placebo-Control group during Sessions 1 and 2. The Alcohol-Exposed group benefitted more from the delayed repeated retrieval attempt. For the cued recall task, the Alcohol-Exposed group provided more “Do not Know” responses compared to the Placebo-Control group in both sessions. For the Alcohol-Exposed group only “Correct Know” responses increased from Session 1 to 2. Although memory performance improved across sessions, confidence levels decreased from Session 1 to 2 in the Alcohol-Exposed group. Discussion: Post-encoding alcohol consumption appears to impact immediate episodic memory retrieval; however, this effect is only temporary in nature. No evidence was found that alcohol primarily reduces remembering responses. Much like previous findings focusing on pre-encoding alcohol consumption (Hagsand et al., 2017), current findings suggest that providing individuals who drank alcohol after witnessing an incident with a delayed repeated retrieval attempt can lead to more complete and accurate testimonies.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The research was funded by a University PhD Research Studentship, from Glasgow Caledonian University. Project Title: An Exploration of the influence of alcohol on memory for traumatic events. Project reference number: S2017SHLS009. Awarded to JG and KL.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Hand, Dr Christopher
• Authors: Butterworth, B., Hand, C. J., Lorimer, K., and Gawrylowicz, J.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Journal Name: Frontiers in Psychology
• Publisher: Frontiers Media
• ISSN: 1664-1078
• ISSN (Online): 1664-1078
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 Butterworth, Hand, Lorimer and Gawrylowicz
• First Published: First published in Frontiers in Psychology 14: 1007477
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License
• Data DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/PWQD5