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Distraction Does Not Impair Memory during Intoxication: Support for the Attention-Allocation Model
Joel Erblich, Mitchell Earleywine
Objective: This study was developed to offer direct support for the Josephs and Steele attention-allocation model. The model suggests that alcohol consumption limits attentional resources to the most salient environmental cue. Method: Forty men participated in a study designed to test the model using measures of memory and attention during ethanol intoxication. Twenty completed memory tests in the presence of a background distractor and 20 completed the tests without a distractor, in two sessions: once while intoxicated (80mg/dl BAG) and once while sober. Results: A significant Distraction X Intoxication interaction indicated that ethanol-related differences in recall occurred only in the absence of distraction. Distraction impaired subjects only when they were sober. Conclusions: Results support the Josephs and Steele attention-allocation model. Findings are discussed in broad terms of an individual's cognitive capabilities when intoxicated and in terms of risk for later alcoholism. (J. Stud. Alcohol 56: 444-448, 1995)
