The generality of the stimulus-binding hypothesis across drinking behavior and task performance in alcoholics.

This experiment investigated the validity of applying the stimulus-binding hypothesis of obesity to conceptualize drinking and task performance behaviors in alcoholics. Twenty alcoholics and 12 nonalcoholics participated in two counterbalanced experimental sessions. One session involved an assessment of subjects' voluntary consumption of preferred and nonpreferred nonalcoholic beverages. The other session involved their performance of four tasks that involved or manipulated the presence of salient external cues. The prediction of heightened externality in alcoholics was supported on the beverage consumption measures and was marginally supported on the task performance measures. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for models and treatments of alcohol problems.