Isolating Proactive Slowing from Reactive Inhibitory Control in Heavy Drinkers.

Impaired inhibitory control is thought to contribute to alcohol (mis)use. However, current definitions of inhibitory control are by a failure to distinguish reactive inhibitory control from proactive slowing. To distinguish "reactive" inhibitory control and proactive slowing in heavy drinkers, and characterize associations between both constructs and individual differences in alcohol consumption. Sixty heavy drinkers completed self-reported measures of alcohol consumption, followed by two modified Stop-Signal tasks and an AX-continuous performance task in a laboratory setting. Heavy drinkers demonstrated proactive slowing when inhibition was more likely but individual differences in proactive slowing and reactive stopping were unrelated to individual differences in alcohol consumption. Within a sample of heavy drinkers, individual differences in reactive inhibitory control and proactive slowing are unrelated to individual differences in alcohol consumption.