Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Casbon, Todd Steven
Author's Email Address	casbon@psy.fsu.edu
URN	etd-07072004-200917
Title	Drinking and Cognitive Control: Evidence That Acute Alcohol Intoxication Impairs Performance Through Its Effect on Two Distinct Cognitive Processes
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Psychology, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Alan R. Lang Committee Chair James D. Orcutt Committee Member Jeanette Taylor Committee Member Marten K. Scheffers Committee Member Rolf A. Zwaan Committee Member
Keywords	Context Processing Commission Error Subtypes Behavioral Dysregulation Prepotent Responses Impulsivity Perseveration Event-Related Brain Potentials P300 ERN Response Inhibition Cognitive Control Acute Alcohol Intoxication
Date of Defense	2004-06-18
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract Numerous laboratory analogue studies have demonstrated alcohol-induced increases in perseverative commission errors in cognitive tasks requiring shifts between prepotent behavioral response sets and modified task demands that require inhibition of previously established reactions. Although uncertainty remains regarding the cognitive mechanisms underlying these effects, data from previous research suggest that alcohol-induced commission errors occurring in cognitively complex contexts may result from failures in either of two processes involved in cognitive control: (a) response inhibition or (b) evaluation of contextual information necessary to guide appropriate responding. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of alcohol on the frequency of two distinct commission error subtypes (viz., fast errors labeled as premature response errors or slow errors labeled as context processing errors) each reflecting a failure in one of the two cognitive control processes. Thirty-two participants (16 male), age 21 or older, were recruited for participation from introductory psychology classes and via campus fliers at Florida State University. After random assignment to an alcohol or no-alcohol beverage condition, participants engaged in a working memory task which was designed to place significant demands on both the response inhibition and context processing aspects of cognitive control. Reaction time data were used to identify fast and slow commission errors. Concurrent validation of the distinction between these two types of errors was pursued using event-related brain potentials (i.e., P300 and ERN) to examine different patterns of brain activity theoretically associated with each error type. P300 data provided strong support for two unique error types, whereas ERN was not helpful in distinguishing the two types of error. As expected, alcohol significantly increased the frequency of both error types. In addition, a significant Beverage Group X Error Type interaction indicated that alcohol’s influence was more pronounced for fast errors than for slow ones. P300 data were also consistent with a greater reduction in processing of contextual stimuli on fast errors among intoxicated participants compared to their sober counterparts. Overall, results indicated that alcohol can produce dysregulated behavior through impairments in multiple cognitive pathways which may depend upon the contextual processing demands present in the drinker’s environment.
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