trained to achieve a given level of performance in the flanker task (e.g., 15% errors), the size of the compatibility effect (CE; incompatible trial – compatible trial) in response time (RT) was not modulated by alcohol. The CE reflects the extent to which incompatible flankers interfere with processing of the target stimulus (Eriksen & Eriksen, 1974; Eriksen & Hoffman, 1973), so a larger CE reflects greater conflict from peripheral, non-target information. Considered along with prevailing theory (e.g., Giancola, 2004; Steele & Josephs, 1990), such findings suggest that conflict might be a necessary but not a sufficient condition for alcohol to impair cognitive control.
