Alcoholism: Controlled Drinking and Incentives for Abstinence

Abstract

A demonstration of abstinence and controlled drinking in 4 alcoholics indicates that excessive drinking can be moderated by reinforcement contingencies. Ss could earn money each time that they abstained or stopped drinking after a priming dose for one day. The magnitude of reinforcement required for maintaining abstinence or moderation was a function of the priming dose of alcohol and the delay of reinforcement. This result suggests that controlled drinking might be maintained if the reinforcers dispensed to the alcoholic were made contingent on moderate drinking.