Does the smell of alcohol make it harder to resist? The impact of olfactory cues on inhibitory control and attentional bias.

ABSTRACT:

Background

It is well known that, owing to associative processing, olfactory cues can impact memory, emotion and behaviour. Research also points to a link between the smells of particular substances and craving. Yet, to date, little research has investigated how smell may impact other cognitive processes that are known to drive alcohol consumption.

Aim

To assess how exposure to alcohol-related (vodka) relative to neutral (citrus) olfactory cues impacts inhibitory control and attentional bias.

Method

Participants took part in a go/no-go (Study 1) and Stroop task (Study 2) while wearing masks that were pre-treated with vodka or citrus oil of equivalent intensity. STUDY 1 RESULTS: Response error rates were higher in participants in the alcohol-related (versus neutral) ol

SUBMITTER: Monk RL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9205803 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature