RATIONALE: Incentive sensitisation theory (IST) claims that the mechanism of reward is comprised of separate neurobiological systems of wanting and liking, that dependent drug use occurs as a result of sensitisation of the system controlling wanting, and that the two systems can be dissociated. OBJECTIVE: To test the IST prediction that wanting and liking for alcohol can be dissociated in humans. METHODS: Measures of wanting and liking for alcohol were obtained in three experiments. Experiment 1 examined whether liking for alcohol was associated with levels of wanting, as indexed by self-reported weekly alcohol intake. Experiments 2 and 3 also assessed the association between liking and wanting but in these experiments wanting was also indexed by alcohol consumption in the laboratory. Experiment 2 increased wanting for alcohol using an alcohol priming dose to determine whether liking would be similarly affected. Experiment 3 reduced liking for alcohol by adulterating drinks with Tween to see whether wanting would also be reduced. RESULTS: Little evidence for an association between liking and wanting for alcohol was found in Experiments 1-3 but, collapsing across all experiments, a weak positive correlation between liking and wanting was found. However, in Experiment 2, wanting was increased by the alcohol priming dose whereas liking was not and in Experiment 3 liking was reduced without a concurrent reduction in wanting. CONCLUSIONS: Although correlations between wanting and liking can be observed these results support the contention of the IST that wanting and liking for alcohol can be dissociated in human participants.
RATIONALE: Incentive sensitisation theory (IST) claims that the mechanism of reward is comprised of separate neurobiological systems of wanting and liking, that dependent drug use occurs as a result of sensitisation of the system controlling wanting, and that the two systems can be dissociated. OBJECTIVE: To test the IST prediction that wanting and liking for alcohol can be dissociated in humans. METHODS: Measures of wanting and liking for alcohol were obtained in three experiments. Experiment 1 examined whether liking for alcohol was associated with levels of wanting, as indexed by self-reported weekly alcohol intake. Experiments 2 and 3 also assessed the association between liking and wanting but in these experiments wanting was also indexed by alcohol consumption in the laboratory. Experiment 2 increased wanting for alcohol using an alcohol priming dose to determine whether liking would be similarly affected. Experiment 3 reduced liking for alcohol by adulterating drinks with Tween to see whether wanting would also be reduced. RESULTS: Little evidence for an association between liking and wanting for alcohol was found in Experiments 1-3 but, collapsing across all experiments, a weak positive correlation between liking and wanting was found. However, in Experiment 2, wanting was increased by the alcohol priming dose whereas liking was not and in Experiment 3 liking was reduced without a concurrent reduction in wanting. CONCLUSIONS: Although correlations between wanting and liking can be observed these results support the contention of the IST that wanting and liking for alcohol can be dissociated in humanparticipants.
Authors: H C Breiter; R L Gollub; R M Weisskoff; D N Kennedy; N Makris; J D Berke; J M Goodman; H L Kantor; D R Gastfriend; J P Riorden; R T Mathew; B R Rosen; S E Hyman Journal: Neuron Date: 1997-09 Impact factor: 17.173
Authors: Laura C Herschl; Dennis E McChargue; James MacKillop; Scott F Stoltenberg; Krista B Highland Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2012-01-27 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: R Z Goldstein; D Tomasi; S Rajaram; L A Cottone; L Zhang; T Maloney; F Telang; N Alia-Klein; N D Volkow Journal: Neuroscience Date: 2006-12-29 Impact factor: 3.590
Authors: R Z Goldstein; P A Woicik; S J Moeller; F Telang; M Jayne; C Wong; G J Wang; J S Fowler; N D Volkow Journal: J Psychopharmacol Date: 2008-09-18 Impact factor: 4.153
Authors: Jason A Oliver; Melissa D Blank; Kate Janse Van Rensburg; David A MacQueen; Thomas H Brandon; David J Drobes Journal: J Abnorm Psychol Date: 2013-11