What can Pavlov's dogs tell us about drinking?
Indeed, Pavlovian cues that predict alcohol can lead us toward addiction. And sometimes those cues can become desirable in and of themselves, as shown in a new study published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience by researchers from Concordia University in Montreal. "Alcohol addiction is compounded by our ability to learn about predictive cues," says Nadia Chaudhri, the study's lead author and professor in the Department of Psychology. "Conditioned reactions to those cues can trigger behaviours that result in drinking, like turning into the SAQ or reaching for a beer." The results of the study suggest that cues that predict alcohol can become highly desirable; therefore, people may keep drinking because of the pleasure derived from our interactions with them. According to this research, drinkers wishing to make a change in their habits shouldn't just focus on the booze itself, but on all the factors that surround alcohol consumption. "M...