Differences in baseline drinking behavior between alcoholics and normal drinkers

Conflation of cocaine seeking and cocaine taking responses in IV self-administration experiments in rats: Methodological and interpretational considerations

“…Similarly, the clinical alcohol field allows access to alcoholic beverages and examines the patterns of consumption. These studies show that differences in consumption patterns can distinguish alcoholics from non-alcoholic individuals (Schaefer et al 1971; Sobell et al, 1972) and predict impairment on cognitive and behavioral tasks (Bernosky-Smith et al, 2012). …”

“…Similarly, drinkers regulate their alcohol intake by adjusting dose size (e.g. small sips or large gulps) and frequency (Schaefer et al, 1971; Sobell et al, 1972; Bernosky-Smith et al, 2012). This is in stark contrast to normal rodent self-administration studies in which dose is an independent variable, fixed by the experimenter.…”

Craving for Alcohol, Loss of Control, and Relapse: A Cognitive-Behavioral Analysis

“…As a result of this overdose, the ascending limb of the blood-alcohol curve rises quickly past the desired level and may peak in the intoxication range (greater than .10%). Direct observation of the drinking behavior of alcoholics reveals that they frequently do drink in this rapid manner (Sobell, Schaefer and Mills, 1972). The high blood-alcohol level resulting from the overdose is likely to elicit the range of dysphoric effects associated with high dose levels.…”

“In Vivo Veritas’: an Observational Study of Alcoholics' and Normal Drinkers' patterns of Consumption

“…This latter method was based on observations of North American alcoholics' and normals' drinking behaviours (Schaefer, Sobell and Mills, 1970;Sobell, Schaefer and Mills, 1972) which showed that the alcoholics preferred straight drinks and took larger sips, drank faster and ordered more drinks than their social drinking counterparts. Unfortunately Sobell and Sobell (1973) did not carry out an analysis to assess the contribution ofthe shock component to the success of their treatment, so that the value of the procedure is uncertain, and may be questioned when the artificiality of the observational studies on which it is based is considered.…”

“…It would clearly be of value to observe drinking in its natural setting, but Sobell et al (1972), while recognising that it may be dangerous to generalise from their own data, argued that such a project was not feasible. There is now evidence however, which shows that naturalistic observation of drinking is possible.…”