Researchers exploring the role memory plays in alcohol consumption believe it could help people drink less booze. Previous research has found people don't eat as much food when they are reminded of an earlier meal just before tucking in. The latest study, led by the University of Portsmouth, wanted to further investigate the relationship between memory and consumption, but with alcohol instead.
The team carried out a study involving 50 women aged 18 to 46-years-old who were randomly split into two groups: The first group were asked to recall a recent alcohol experience in detail, and the second had to recall a car journey, as a control. Participants were then asked to consume a vodka-based drink, at a rate that felt comfortable to them. Participants watched a mood-neutral program while drinking to provide a more naturalistic environment and distract them from any suspicion that their rate of consumption was being recorded.
The findings revealed individuals asked to recall a previous drinking episode took longer to consume the alcoholic beverage, which suggests a lower motivation for alcohol. Following on from previous work, we think an important part of the observed effect was that individuals in the alcohol memory cue condition had to estimate the number of alcohol calories they consumed. Our theory is that females may have had less desire for alcohol because they wish to avoid excess calories, which could also be linked to work showing that females are more likely to change.