Attentional bias towards alcohol advertising causes increased consumption of alcohol through its impact on craving

Background and AimsAlcohol advertising can induce craving and increase consumption of alcohol, though individuals vary in their susceptibility. Recent findings suggest that attentional bias toward alcohol adverts predicts subsequent alcohol craving and consumption. However, methodological limitations leave key issues unresolved, including whether attentional bias to alcohol adverts causally impacts craving and consumption. This study tested the hypothesis that attentional bias to alcohol adverts increases their impact on alcohol consumption via craving, using an attentional bias manipulation approach.MethodsSeventy-one undergraduate students were exposed to beer and soft drink adverts in a dual advert viewing task designed to manipulate attentional bias towards or away from beer adverts. Following advert viewing, relative craving for beer versus soft drinks and preferential beer consumption were assessed. A mediation model examined whether attentional bias manipulation influenced consumption via craving.ResultsThe attentional bias manipulation successfully induced selective attention differences, with participants in the “attend beer adverts” condition displaying an attentional bias towards beer adverts, and those in the “avoid beer adverts” condition showing an attentional bias away from beer adverts. Mediation analysis confirmed that the attentional bias manipulation influenced beer consumption following advert viewing via its effect on beer craving.ConclusionsThese findings provide evidence that attentional bias towards alcohol adverts causally influences the amount of alcohol consumed following the viewing of such adverts. They also provide evidence that the effect of this attentional bias on alcohol consumption is mediated by the causal impact that attentional bias towards alcohol adverts has on levels of alcohol craving experienced following advert viewing. We discuss the implication of these advances in understanding for future targeted interventions designed to mitigate the potentially detrimental consequences of exposure to alcohol advertising.