RESPONSE OUTCOMES AFFECT THE RETENTION OF BEHAVIORAL TOLERANCE TO ALCOHOL - INFORMATION AND INCENTIVE

Twenty-four male undergraduates acquired tolerance during three sessio ns where they received moderate doses of alcohol (0.62 g/kg) and repea tedly performed a motor skill task with immediate knowledge of results (KR) on each trial. Subjects were assigned to one of four groups (n = 6) before a retention test session where two groups received alcohol and two expected alcohol but received a placebo. The effect on toleran ce retention of withholding KR was tested in alcohol group A. The effe ct of an incentive in the absence of KR was examined in the other alco hol group (AM) that was offered a delayed monetary reward for nonimpai red performance. Both alcohol groups failed to retain tolerance and th eir impairment did not differ. The effect of substituting the incentiv e for KR on a drug-compensatory response to placebo was examined in gr oup PM by comparing its performance to group PC where KR was continued . A compensatory response (i.e., performance superior to drug-free bas eline) was displayed by the PC group but not by group PM. Thus, despit e a monetary incentive to perform well, tolerance to alcohol and a com pensatory response to placebo were both disrupted by withholding KR. T he results were interpreted in terms of the information about performa nce conveyed by KR.