UNDERSTANDING AFFECTIVE REWARDS FROM ALCOHOL IN CONTEXT: THE CASE OF VIRTUAL SOCIAL INTERACTIONS

ABSTRACT

The current project explores affective rewards from alcohol in the context of virtual social interactions. The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a radical shift toward the digital world. In light of pandemic- related changes in drinking and also emotional well-being, it becomes imperative to understand the cognitive and affective processes involved in virtual interactions and the impact of alcohol in these novel social spaces. The current study leverages an eye tracking and an alcohol administration paradigm to examine the impact of alcohol on self-focused attention and affect, as well as the interplay between self-focused attention and affective processes, in the context of a virtual social exchange. Heavy social drinkers (N = 246) were randomly assigned to receive either a moderate dose of alcohol (target BAC = 0.08%) or a non-alcoholic beverage. After beverage consumption, participants engaged in a virtual video call in pairs. Participants viewed video feed in split screen, displaying both themselves and their interaction partner, and their gaze behavior was continuously tracked using the EyeLink 1000. Participants' affect was repeatedly assessed throughout their experimental sessions. Results indicated that, on average, participants spent substantially more time looking at their conversation partner vs. themselves during the video call, b = 2.49, p < 0.0001. Of particular note, there was a significant relationship between gaze direction and alcohol, b = -0.46, p = 0.015. Specifically, relative to sober participants, those consuming alcohol spent more time looking at themselves and less at their conversation partners. There was also a significant relationship between gaze direction and negative affect, b = -0.29, p = 0.015, such that those who spent especially large proportions of their time gazing at themselves vs. their conversation partner reported higher levels of negative affect following the virtual exchange. Lastly, the powerful mood-enhancing properties of alcohol that are typically observed in in-person interaction did not emerge in this online context. Results carry potential implications for understanding factors that increase risk for hazardous drinking and negative affectivity in our increasingly virtual world.