Methodological
Considerations in the Study of Alcohol and Memory
W.H. Loke & M.L. Lai |
The
variables that must be taken into account while studying the effects
of alcohol on memory are discussed. These include the type of memory
task used, subject characteristics such as gender, age, mood and
procedural considerations like timing of alcohol administration and
effectiveness of masking solution. A free recall task suitable for
alcohol research and an experimental paradigm designed to test the
state dependency effects of alcohol are also described. It is concluded
that alcohol research will provide insights into the treatment of
alcoholics and alcohol's interactive effects with other drugs (e.
g., nicotine and caffeine) should be investigated in future research.
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