Psychology of Addictive Behaviors - Vol 23, Iss 4

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Psychology of Addictive Behaviors The Psychology of Addictive Behaviors publishes peer-reviewed original articles related to the psychological aspects of addictive behaviors. Articles on the following topics are included: (a) alcohol and alcoholism, (b) drug use and abuse, (c) eating disorders, (d) smoking and nicotine addiction, and (e) other compulsive behaviors (e.g., gambling). Full-length research reports, literature reviews, essays, brief reports, and comments are published. The journal is published four times yearly and is abstracted by Psychological Abstracts.
Copyright 2010 American Psychological Association
  • Alcohol-induced disinhibition expectancies and impaired control as prospective predictors of problem drinking in undergraduates.
    Trait disinhibition is associated with problem drinking and alcohol drinking can bring about a state of disinhibition. It is unclear however, if expectancies of alcohol-induced disinhibition are unique predictors of problem drinking. Impaired control (i.e., difficulty in limiting alcohol consumption) may be related to disinhibition expectancies in that both involve issues of control related to alcohol use. Data from a prospective survey of undergraduates assessed during freshman (N = 337) and senior year (N = 201) were analyzed to determine whether subscales of the Drinking-Induced Disinhibition Scale (Leeman, Toll, & Volpicelli, 2007) and the Impaired Control Scale (Heather et al., 1993) predicted unique variance in heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related problems. In Time 1 cross-sectional models, Dysphoric disinhibition expectancies predicted alcohol-related problems and impaired control predicted both alcohol-related problems and heavy episodic drinking. In prospective models, Time 1 impaired control predicted Time 2 alcohol-related problems and Time 1 Euphoric/social Disinhibition expectancies predicted Time 2 heavy episodic drinking. These findings suggest that expectancies of alcohol-induced disinhibition and impaired control predict unique variance in problem drinking cross-sectionally and prospectively, and that these phenomena should be targeted in early intervention efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • "The Gambling Craving Scale: Psychometric validation and behavioral outcomes": Correction to Young and Wohl (2009).
    Reports an error in "The Gambling Craving Scale: Psychometric validation and behavioral outcomes" by Matthew M. Young and Michael J. A. Wohl (Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 2009[Sep], Vol 23[3], 512-522). Some data in Table 4 was inadvertently omitted. The complete Table 4 is presented in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2009-14441-012.) Although craving is an important feature of problem gambling, there is a paucity of research investigating craving to gamble. A major stumbling block for craving research in gambling has been the lack of a methodologically sound, multidimensional measure of gambling-related craving. This article reports the development of the Gambling Craving Scale (GACS). In Study 1 (N = 220), a factor analysis revealed the emergence of a 9-item scale with 3 factors: Anticipation, Desire, and Relief. An important finding was that the GACS predicted problem gambling severity, depression, and positive and negative affect. In Study 2 (N = 145), the factor structure of the GACS was confirmed using a community sample of gamblers. In Study 3 (N = 46), GACS scores significantly predicted persistence at play on a virtual slot machine in the face of continued loss. Specifically, the more participants craved to gamble, the longer they engaged in play. The implications of craving for the development and maintenance of problem gambling severity are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Academic and social motives and drinking behavior.
    This longitudinal study of 1,447 first-time college students tested separate time-varying covariate models of the relations between academic and social motives/behaviors and alcohol use and related problems from senior year of high school through the end of the second year in college. Structural equation models identified small but significant inverse relations between academic motives/behaviors and alcohol use across all time points, with relations of somewhat larger magnitude between academic motives/behaviors and alcohol-related problems across all semesters other than senior year in high school. At all time points, there were much larger positive relations between social motives/behaviors and alcohol use across all semesters, with smaller but significant relations between social motives/behaviors and alcohol-related problems. Multi-group models found considerable consistency in the relations between motives/behaviors and alcohol-related outcomes across gender, race/ethnicity, and family history of alcohol problems, although academic motives/behaviors played a stronger protective role for women, and social motives were a more robust risk factor for Caucasian and Latino students and individuals with a positive family history of alcohol problems. Implications for alcohol prevention efforts among college students are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Drink less or drink slower: The effects of instruction on alcohol consumption and drinking control strategy use.
    Brief alcohol interventions often involve recommendations to use drinking control strategies. However, little is known about the functional effect of these strategies on alcohol use. This prospective study employed an experimental design to evaluate the relationship between strategy use and alcohol consumption. The differential effects of instructions to increase the use of strategies or to reduce alcohol consumption were compared to self-monitoring (SM) only. Undergraduate drinkers were randomized into 3 conditions: SM plus strategy increase (SI; n = 61), SM plus alcohol reduction (AR; n = 60), and SM control (SM; n = 56). Participants in the AR group reduced their alcohol use over 2 weeks, while those in the SI group did not drink less. Participants in the SI group increased strategy use over time, whereas the AR group increased use of some strategies but not others. These results indicate that increasing use of drinking control strategies does not necessarily result in reduced drinking. Furthermore, all strategies are not equal in their association with alcohol consumption; if the goal is alcohol reduction, type of strategy recommended may be important. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Refining measurement in the study of social anxiety and student drinking: Who you are and why you drink determines your outcomes.
    This study investigated inconsistencies in the literature regarding social anxiety and problematic drinking among college students. One hundred eighteen students (61% women) who experience anxiety in social or performance situations completed measures of social anxiety and a modified Timeline Followback that assessed the psychological context of drinking episodes and alcohol-related consequences. Results suggest that men who experience severe social anxiety drink less alcohol than men with lower levels of anxiety, whereas women high in social anxiety are likely to experience more alcohol-related consequences per drinking episode than women low in social anxiety, despite drinking similar amounts of alcohol. In addition, women with high social anxiety were found to experience more alcohol-related consequences than men with high social anxiety. These findings suggest that the inconsistencies noted in the literature on drinking to cope with social anxiety and alcohol-related consequences may reflect methodological differences and the failure to consider gender. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • What makes group MET work? A randomized controlled trial of college student drinkers in mandated alcohol diversion.
    Nationally, college drinkers exhibit the highest rates of alcohol consumption and represent the largest percentage of problem drinkers. Group motivational enhancement therapy (GMET) has been found to catalyze problem drinking reductions among college student samples. Although research supporting the use of single-session GMET in college samples (general and mandated) is emergent, no studies have evaluated a comprehensive model of the potential active ingredients of this group intervention. College students (N = 206; 88% White; 63% men; M age = 18.6) mandated to a university alcohol diversion program were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: the standard-of-care 2-session “Focus on Alcohol Concerns” education group (FAC), a single GMET, or a single alcohol information-only control group (AI) to evaluate the role of 5 putative mediators: readiness to change, self-efficacy, perceived risk, norm estimates, and positive drinking expectancies. At 3- and 6-month follow-ups, GMET students demonstrated greater reductions in problem drinking outcomes (drinks per drinking day, hazardous drinking symptoms, and alcohol-related problems). Of the 5 mediators proposed, only self-efficacy emerged as a significant mediator. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • A stress-coping profile of opioid dependent individuals entering naltrexone treatment: A comparison with healthy controls.
    Background: Stress is known to increase addiction vulnerability and risk of relapse to substance use. Purpose & Method: We compared opioid dependent individuals entering naltrexone treatment (n = 57) with healthy controls (n = 75) on measures of stress, coping, and social support and examined the relative contribution of group membership, coping, and social support to stress within the sample. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA), and stepwise multiple regression were conducted. Results: Compared with controls, opioid dependent subjects reported greater stress, less use of adaptive coping, but comparable use of maladaptive/avoidant coping. No group differences were found with respect to social support. Perceived stress was predicted by group membership, low social support, and greater use of maladaptive/avoidant coping, and the prediction by social support and maladaptive/avoidant coping did not differ by group. Conclusion: Opioid dependent individuals entering naltrexone treatment experience higher levels of stress and report less use of adaptive coping strategies when compared with controls. Group membership, maladaptive/avoidant coping, and social support independently contribute to perceived stress. Findings suggest that novel treatment approaches that decrease maladaptive/avoidant coping and improve social support are important aspects of decreasing stress during early recovery from opioid addiction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Tobacco, marijuana, and sensation seeking: Comparisons across gay, lesbian, bisexual, and heterosexual groups.
    This study examined patterns of smoked substances (cigarettes and marijuana) among heterosexuals, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals based on data from the 2000 National Alcohol Survey, a population-based telephone survey of adults in the United States. We also examined the effect of bar patronage and sensation seeking/impulsivity (SSImp) on tobacco and marijuana use. Sexual orientation was defined as lesbian or gay self-identified, bisexual self-identified, heterosexual self-identified with same-sex partners in the past 5 years, and exclusively heterosexual (heterosexual self-identified, reporting no same-sex partners). Findings indicate that bisexual women and heterosexual women reporting same-sex partners had higher rates of cigarette smoking than exclusively heterosexual women. Bisexual women, lesbians, and heterosexual women with same-sex partners also used marijuana at significantly higher rates than exclusively heterosexual women. Marijuana use was significantly greater and tobacco use was elevated among gay men compared with heterosexual men. SSImp was associated with greater use of both of these substances across nearly all groups. Bar patronage and SSImp did not buffer the relationship between sexual identity and smoking either cigarettes or marijuana. These findings suggest that marijuana and tobacco use differ by sexual identity, particularly among women, and underscore the importance of developing prevention and treatment services that are appropriate for sexual minorities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Similarity in cigarette smoking attracts: A prospective study of romantic partner selection by own smoking and smoker prototypes.
    In the current research, we used a multiwave longitudinal design to examine how young adults’ own smoking and smoker prototypes are associated with selection of romantic partners over time. Results indicate that participants who smoke, versus participants who do not smoke, and participants who have a more positive prototype of the typical smoker are more likely to initiate a romantic relationship with someone who smokes and who has greater perceived approval for smoking. Among participants who smoke, higher levels of smoking are associated with initiating a relationship with a romantic partner who smokes more and approves of smoking more. The findings suggest some important aspects of romantic partner selection effects in terms of what is selected for, partner smoking and approval, and key young adult variables that contribute to selection, such as participant’s own smoking and smoker prototype. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Effects of transdermal nicotine on symptoms, moods, and cardiovascular activity in the everyday lives of smokers and nonsmokers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
    The aim of the study was to test the self-medication hypothesis by examining the effects of nicotine in the everyday lives of smokers and nonsmokers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Fifty-two adults with ADHD (25 abstinent smokers and 27 nonsmokers) participated in a double-blind placebo controlled study with one nicotine patch condition and one placebo patch condition in counterbalanced order. Each condition continued for two consecutive days in which patches were administered each morning. The effects of nicotine on ADHD symptoms, moods, and side effects were assessed with electronic diaries. Cardiovascular activity was recorded with ambulatory blood pressure monitors and physical activity was monitored with actigraphs. Nicotine reduced reports of ADHD symptoms by 8% and negative moods by 9%, independent of smoking status. In addition, nicotine increased cardiovascular activity during the first 3 to 6 hours after nicotine patch administration. The results support the self-medication hypothesis for nicotine in adults with ADHD and suggest that smoking cessation and prevention efforts for individuals with ADHD will need to address both the symptom reducing and mood enhancing effects of nicotine. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • The Autonomy Over Smoking Scale.
    Our goal was to create an instrument that can be used to study how smokers lose autonomy over smoking and regain it after quitting. The Autonomy Over Smoking Scale was produced through a process involving item generation, focus-group evaluation, testing in adults to winnow items, field testing with adults and adolescents, and head-to-head comparisons with other measures. The final 12-item scale shows excellent reliability (as = .91–.97), with a one-factor solution explaining 59% of the variance in adults and 61%–74% of the variance in adolescents. Concurrent validity was supported by associations with age of smoking initiation, lifetime use, smoking frequency, daily cigarette consumption, history of failed cessation, Hooked on Nicotine Checklist scores, and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (4th ed., text rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 2000) nicotine dependence criteria. Potentially useful features of this new instrument include (a) it assesses tobacco withdrawal, cue-induced craving, and psychological dependence on cigarettes; (b) it measures symptom intensity; and (c) it asks about current symptoms only, so it could be administered to quitting smokers to track the resolution of symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Surfing the urge: Brief mindfulness-based intervention for college student smokers.
    The current study investigates effects of a brief mindfulness-based instruction set, based on Marlatt’s “urge surfing” technique (Marlatt & Gordon, 1985), on smoking-related urges and behavior. Undergraduate smokers (N = 123) who were interested in changing their smoking, but not currently involved in a cessation program, participated in a cue exposure paradigm designed to elicit urges to smoke. They were randomly assigned either to a group receiving brief mindfulness-based instructions or to a no-instruction control group. Results suggest that groups did not differ significantly on measures of urges. However, those in the mindfulness group smoked significantly fewer cigarettes over a 7-day follow-up period as compared to those in the control group. These findings suggest that the mindfulness techniques may not initially reduce urges to smoke but may change the response to urges. The study provides preliminary data for future studies examining both mechanisms and effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for cigarette smoking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Randomized controlled trial of a cognitive–behavioral motivational intervention in a group versus individual format for substance use disorders.
    Although group therapy is widely used for individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs), randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing the same treatment in a group versus individual format are rare. This paper presents the results of a RCT comparing guided self-change (GSC) treatment, a cognitive–behavioral motivational intervention, conducted in a group versus individual format with 212 alcohol abusers and 52 drug abusers who voluntarily sought outpatient treatment. Treatment outcomes demonstrated significant and large reductions in clients’ alcohol and drug use during treatment and at the 12-month follow-up, with no significant differences between the group and individual therapy conditions. A therapist time ratio analysis found that it took 41.4% less therapist time to treat clients using the group versus the individual format. Participants’ end-of-treatment group cohesion scores characterized the groups as having high engagement, low levels of interpersonal conflict, and low avoidance of group work, all desirable group characteristics. These findings suggest that the GSC treatment model was effectively integrated into a brief group treatment format. Health care cost containment compels further evaluations of the efficacy of group treatments for SUDs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Thinking about drinking: Need for cognition and readiness to change moderate the effects of brief alcohol interventions.
    Research has demonstrated the efficacy of brief motivational interventions (BMI) and alcohol expectancy challenge (AEC) in reducing alcohol use and/or problems among college students. However, little is known about variables that may qualify the effectiveness of these approaches. The present analyses tested the hypothesis that need for cognition (NFC), impulsivity/sensation seeking (IMPSS) and readiness to change (RTC) would moderate the effects of BMI and AEC. Participants (N = 335) were heavy drinking college students enrolled in a randomized 2 × 2 factorial study of BMI and AEC. Latent growth curve analyses indicated significant interactions for BMI × NFC and AEC × RTC on alcohol use but not problems. Simple slopes analyses were used to probe these relationships and revealed that higher levels of NFC at baseline were associated with a stronger BMI effect on drinking outcomes over time. Similarly, higher levels of baseline RTC were associated with stronger AEC effects on alcohol use. Future preventive interventions with this population may profit by considering individual differences and targeting approaches accordingly. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Preliminary examination of Spring Break alcohol use and related consequences.
    The authors examined the extent to which college student drinkers are at risk for experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences during Spring Break. A sample of first-year college student drinkers (N = 726) participated by completing an online survey assessing typical drinking, as well as Spring Break drinking and related consequences. Findings suggest Spring Break drinking was positively associated with alcohol-related consequences during Spring Break, even after controlling for sex and typical drinking. Furthermore, results indicated that typical drinking moderated the relationship between Spring Break drinking and expected zero-values (i.e., not reporting any Spring Break consequences), such that the association between Spring Break drinking and the likelihood of being a zero-score was less evident for those who are typically lighter drinkers. Identifying and examining temporal and contextually relevant events and associated drinking is critical for understanding and ultimately preventing extreme drinking and associated consequences associated with specific events like Spring Break, which place many students at high risk for experiencing acute harm. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Alcohol use by undergraduate students on their 21st birthday: Predictors of actual consumption, anticipated consumption, and normative beliefs.
    Recent research has identified celebration of a 21st birthday as an environmental event during which many college students engage in risky levels of alcohol consumption. The current study examined the relationship between personality and different aspects of alcohol use during 21st birthday celebrations: actual amount consumed for those who had turned 21, anticipated amount consumed for those under the age of 21, and normative beliefs regarding the amount other students consume on their 21st birthdays. Sensation seeking and impulsivity both displayed significant bivariate relationships with all three aspects of 21st birthday drinking. Personality traits did not contribute unique variance to actual 21st birthday drinking after the effects of typical alcohol consumption were accounted for in the models. Impulsivity contributed unique variance to models accounting for anticipated drinking and normative beliefs. Additional research is necessary to better understand the role personality variables play on alcohol consumption during 21st birthday celebrations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Prospective associations among alcohol use-related sexual enhancement expectancies, sex after alcohol use, and casual sex.
    Higher levels of alcohol use have consistently been related to higher rates of sexual risk taking; however, it is not clear whether this relationship is causal. This study examined the concurrent and predictive associations among alcohol use-related sexual enhancement expectancies, drinking alcohol before engaging in sex, and casual sex during the transition into emerging adulthood and whether these associations differed for men and women. Data came from 590 men and women who were interviewed 3 times at 6-month intervals after high school. Growth curve analyses indicated that alcohol-related sexual enhancement expectancies were related to casual sex indirectly through drinking before sex but did not predict change in either of these behaviors. However, increases in drinking before sex predicted increases in casual sex over time. The findings provide some support for prevention programs that focus on alcohol-related sexual expectancies to reduce sexually transmitted illnesses among emerging adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Underage drinking among young adolescent girls: The role of family processes.
    Guided by family interaction theory, this study examined the influences of psychological, peer, and familial processes on alcohol use among young adolescent girls and assessed the contributions of familial factors. An ethnically diverse sample of 1,187 pairs of girls (M age = 12.83 years), and their mothers completed surveys online. Questionnaires assessed girls’ lifetime and recent alcohol use, as well as girls’ demographic, psychological, peer, and family characteristics. Hierarchical logistic regression models showed that although girls’ drinking was associated with a number of psychological and peer factors, the contributions of family domain variables to girls’ drinking were above and beyond that of psychological and peer factors. The interaction analyses further highlighted that having family rules, high family involvement, and greater family communication may offset risks in psychological and peer domains. Study findings underscore the multifaceted etiology of drinking among young adolescent girls and assert the crucial roles of familial processes. Prevention programs should be integrative, target processes at multiple domains, and include work with parents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Initiating moderate to heavy alcohol use predicts changes in neuropsychological functioning for adolescent girls and boys.
    This study prospectively examines the influence of alcohol on neuropsychological functioning in boys and girls characterized prior to initiating drinking (N = 76, ages 12–14). Adolescents who transitioned into heavy (n = 25; 11 girls, 14 boys) or moderate (n = 11; 2 girls, 9 boys) drinking were compared with matched controls who remained nonusers throughout the ~3-year follow-up period (N = 40; 16 girls, 24 boys). For girls, more past year drinking days predicted a greater reduction in visuospatial task performance from baseline to follow-up, above and beyond performance on equivalent measures at baseline (R²? = 10%, p <.05), particularly on tests of visuospatial memory (R²? = 8%, p <.05). For boys, a tendency was seen for more past year hangover symptoms to predict worsened sustained attention (R²? = 7%, p <.05). These preliminary longitudinal findings suggest that initiating moderately heavy alcohol use and incurring hangover during adolescence may adversely influence neurocognitive functioning. Neurocognitive deficits linked to heavy drinking during this critical developmental period may lead to direct and indirect changes in neuromaturational course, with effects that would extend into adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Acceptance and commitment therapy for smoking cessation: A preliminary study of its effectiveness in comparison with cognitive behavioral therapy.
    This controlled preliminary trial determined the feasibility and initial effectiveness of a promising behavioral intervention for smoking: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). In a quasi-experimental design, the ACT intervention condition used metaphors and experiential exercises focused on personal values to motivate quitting smoking and enhancing the willingness to experience internal cues to smoke (e.g., urges) and abstinence-related internal distress. The comparison condition was cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)—the current standard in behavioral intervention for smoking cessation. Each treatment was delivered in seven weekly 90-min sessions in a group format to 81 (43 in ACT; 38 in CBT) adult smokers. Results show that the ACT treatment was as feasible as the CBT treatment. They also demonstrate promising evidence of ACT’s effectiveness: 30.2% intent-to-treat biochemically-supported 30-day point prevalence at twelve month follow-up, compared with 13.2% in the CBT condition (odds ratio = 5.13; p = .02). Replication in a well-powered, randomized, controlled trial is now needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Cue-specific reactivity in experienced gamblers.
    To examine whether gambling cue reactivity is cue-specific, 47 scratch-off lottery players and 47 horse race gamblers were presented with video clips of their preferred and nonpreferred modes of gambling, and two control stimuli including an exciting car race and a mental stressor task while heart rates, excitement, and urge to gamble were being measured. Heart rates for both groups of gamblers were highest to the mental stressor and did not differ in response to the other three cues. Excitement for both groups was highest in response to the action cues (horse race and car chase). Urge to gamble was significantly higher for each group to their preferred mode of gambling. A post hoc exploratory analysis comparing social gamblers (n = 54) and probable pathological gamblers (n = 40) revealed a similar pattern of responses. However, pathological gamblers reported overall significantly higher urges to gamble than social gamblers. As urges have been shown to play a pivotal role in addictive behaviors and relapse, the current findings may have implications for the development of gambling problems and relapse after successful treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Self-coded indirect memory associations in a brief school-based intervention for substance use suspensions.
    This study assessed the concurrent validity of self-generated and self-coded substance use associations for marijuana and alcohol use. Grades seven to twelve students were assessed as part of a brief intervention program in lieu of suspension for substance use infractions in school. During the cognitive assessment, students generated memory associations to probes for high-risk situations and desirable outcomes. Later, the participant rated their responses according to categories including both non-risk and substance use. Three different coding methods were compared: (1) conservative codes using clearly unambiguous responses, (2) liberal scores adding ambiguous, but likely responses, and (3) self-coded. Self-coded scores were higher, had stronger correlations with substance use, and were better predictors of substance use and problems than either conservative or liberal coded scores. These findings suggest that self-coding may be used to improve concurrent validity, decrease ambiguities in coding, and reduce the cost of measuring memory associations. The present method promises a cost effective and valid measure of indirect substance use cognitions that can be readily adapted for interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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  • Language-based measures of mindfulness: Initial validity and clinical utility.
    This study examined relationships among language use, mindfulness, and substance-use treatment outcomes in the context of an efficacy trial of mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) for adults with alcohol and other drug use (AOD) disorders. An expert panel generated two categories of mindfulness language (ML) describing the mindfulness state and the more encompassing “mindfulness journey,” which included words describing challenges of developing a mindfulness practice. MBRP participants (n = 48) completed baseline sociodemographic and AOD measures, and participated in the 8-week MBRP program. AOD data were collected during the 4-month follow-up. A word count program assessed the frequency of ML and other linguistic markers in participants’ responses to open-ended questions about their postintervention impressions of mindfulness practice and MBRP. Findings supported concurrent validity of ML categories: ML words appeared more frequently in the MBRP manual compared to the 12-step Big Book. Further, ML categories correlated with other linguistic variables related to the mindfulness construct. Finally, predictive validity was supported: greater use of ML predicted fewer AOD use days during the 4-month follow-up. This study provided initial support for ML as a valid, clinically useful mindfulness measure. If future studies replicate these findings, ML could be used in conjunction with self-report to provide a more complete picture of the mindfulness experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
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