Evaluating the interactive effects of responsible drinking messages and attentional bias on actual drinking behaviours

Conclusion
This project raises new questions for researchers, in particular, around the varied relationship between attentional bias scores and attention times given to alcohol cues, messages and actual drinks.
From an applied perspective, it suggests that both placement and content influence the amount of attention responsible drinking messages receive.  However, while less cue-laden environments may be more effective locations in terms of visual attention, in the real world such locations are usually not places where people typically drink.  Therefore, the potential impact on behaviour – which is already weak – may be further lessened.
Overall, while this study does not replicate earlier findings that RDM posters may increase consumption, neither does it provide evidence that they are likely to meaningfully reduce the amount people drink.  Therefore, even if levels of attention are affected by context and content, there remains little evidence that RDM posters have any significant impact on behaviour.
Further Information
All correspondence to the first author via [e-mail] or London South Bank University 102 Borough Road, London, SE1 0AA
Acknowledgements
The research team would like to thank Thomas Wilcox for his assistance early in the project, Ergoneers for advice on the D-lab software used to analyse eye-tracking data and, finally, acuity eye tracking solutions for t...

Source: Alcohol Research UK - February 9, 2017 Category: Addiction Authors: admin Tags: Alcohol Insights Source Type: news