Alcohol desire influenced by memory recollection and personality

Lorenzo D. Stafford; Kayley Aggas; Jennifer Seddon; Richard J. Stevenson; Emily Nicholls; Christof Lutteroth; Matthew O. Parker

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2025.113626

Alcohol desire influenced by memory recollection and personality

Lorenzo D. Stafford^*, Kayley Aggas, Jennifer Seddon, Richard J. Stevenson, Emily Nicholls, Christof Lutteroth, Matthew O. Parker

^*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

Alcohol use is driven not only by environmental cues but also by individual differences in motivational style. Recent work has demonstrated how memory cues can reduce subsequent desire for alcohol, yet it remains unclear how personality traits shape this effect. To address this, we recruited male and female participants (N = 169) who completed the behavioural inhibition/approach system (BIS/BAS) scales and were then cued to recall either a previous alcohol drinking episode and estimate the number of alcohol calories consumed (Alcohol Cue, AC) or a control (Neutral Cue, NC). They then rated their desire for alcohol (DAQ). Findings revealed lower desire for those in the AC compared to NC group and separately, a positive association between alcohol desire and BAS and particularly BAS-Drive. We further found that a measure of residual BAS (BAS less BIS) was positively related to desire but did not moderate the effect of memory cue. These findings suggest that being reminded of a previous drinking episode can exert a modest but consistent influence on alcohol desire.

Original language	English
Article number	113626
Pages (from-to)	1-5
Number of pages	5
Journal	Personality and Individual Differences
Volume	252
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2025.113626
Publication status	Published - Apr 2026

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2025. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

alcohol
BAS
BIS
memory
Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory

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10.1016/j.paid.2025.113626Licence: CC BY

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title = "Alcohol desire influenced by memory recollection and personality",

abstract = "Alcohol use is driven not only by environmental cues but also by individual differences in motivational style. Recent work has demonstrated how memory cues can reduce subsequent desire for alcohol, yet it remains unclear how personality traits shape this effect. To address this, we recruited male and female participants (N = 169) who completed the behavioural inhibition/approach system (BIS/BAS) scales and were then cued to recall either a previous alcohol drinking episode and estimate the number of alcohol calories consumed (Alcohol Cue, AC) or a control (Neutral Cue, NC). They then rated their desire for alcohol (DAQ). Findings revealed lower desire for those in the AC compared to NC group and separately, a positive association between alcohol desire and BAS and particularly BAS-Drive. We further found that a measure of residual BAS (BAS less BIS) was positively related to desire but did not moderate the effect of memory cue. These findings suggest that being reminded of a previous drinking episode can exert a modest but consistent influence on alcohol desire.",

keywords = "alcohol, BAS, BIS, memory, Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory",

author = "Stafford, \{Lorenzo D.\} and Kayley Aggas and Jennifer Seddon and Stevenson, \{Richard J.\} and Emily Nicholls and Christof Lutteroth and Parker, \{Matthew O.\}",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2025. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

year = "2026",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1016/j.paid.2025.113626",

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pages = "1--5",

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T1 - Alcohol desire influenced by memory recollection and personality

AU - Stafford, Lorenzo D.

AU - Aggas, Kayley

AU - Seddon, Jennifer

AU - Stevenson, Richard J.

AU - Nicholls, Emily

AU - Lutteroth, Christof

AU - Parker, Matthew O.

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2025. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2026/4

Y1 - 2026/4

N2 - Alcohol use is driven not only by environmental cues but also by individual differences in motivational style. Recent work has demonstrated how memory cues can reduce subsequent desire for alcohol, yet it remains unclear how personality traits shape this effect. To address this, we recruited male and female participants (N = 169) who completed the behavioural inhibition/approach system (BIS/BAS) scales and were then cued to recall either a previous alcohol drinking episode and estimate the number of alcohol calories consumed (Alcohol Cue, AC) or a control (Neutral Cue, NC). They then rated their desire for alcohol (DAQ). Findings revealed lower desire for those in the AC compared to NC group and separately, a positive association between alcohol desire and BAS and particularly BAS-Drive. We further found that a measure of residual BAS (BAS less BIS) was positively related to desire but did not moderate the effect of memory cue. These findings suggest that being reminded of a previous drinking episode can exert a modest but consistent influence on alcohol desire.

AB - Alcohol use is driven not only by environmental cues but also by individual differences in motivational style. Recent work has demonstrated how memory cues can reduce subsequent desire for alcohol, yet it remains unclear how personality traits shape this effect. To address this, we recruited male and female participants (N = 169) who completed the behavioural inhibition/approach system (BIS/BAS) scales and were then cued to recall either a previous alcohol drinking episode and estimate the number of alcohol calories consumed (Alcohol Cue, AC) or a control (Neutral Cue, NC). They then rated their desire for alcohol (DAQ). Findings revealed lower desire for those in the AC compared to NC group and separately, a positive association between alcohol desire and BAS and particularly BAS-Drive. We further found that a measure of residual BAS (BAS less BIS) was positively related to desire but did not moderate the effect of memory cue. These findings suggest that being reminded of a previous drinking episode can exert a modest but consistent influence on alcohol desire.

KW - alcohol

KW - BAS

KW - BIS

KW - memory

KW - Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105025657011

U2 - 10.1016/j.paid.2025.113626

DO - 10.1016/j.paid.2025.113626

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105025657011

SN - 0191-8869

VL - 252

SP - 1

EP - 5

JO - Personality and Individual Differences

JF - Personality and Individual Differences

M1 - 113626

ER -

Alcohol desire influenced by memory recollection and personality

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Keywords

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