Development of a Brief Adjusting Alcohol Purchase Task as a Measure of Behavioral Economic Demand for Alcohol in Two Samples of Heavy-Drinking Young Adults.
Alcohol demand, reflecting the relative reinforcing value of alcohol, is robustly associated with alcohol use and problems. Alcohol demand is typically assessed using alcohol purchase tasks (APTs) in which participants estimate alcohol consumption at escalating prices, with the resulting demand curv...
| Publicado en: | Psychological Assessment Vol. 38; no. 3; pp. 203 - 220 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , |
| Formato: | Artículo |
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American Psychological Association
Mar2026
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=191522334&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 191522334 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 10403590 POL jtl: Psychological Assessment issn: 10403590 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Mar2026 vid: 38 iid: 3 pid: 34 pub: American Psychological Association artinfo: ui: 191522334 10.1037/pas0001434 ppf: 203 ppct: 17 formats: tig: atl: Development of a Brief Adjusting Alcohol Purchase Task as a Measure of Behavioral Economic Demand for Alcohol in Two Samples of Heavy-Drinking Young Adults. aug: au: Coelho, Sophie G. Belisario, Kyla L. Keough, Matthew T. Amlung, Michael T. Murphy, James G. MacKillop, James affil: Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, McMaster University Department of Psychology, York University Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas Department of Psychology, University of Memphis su: Reinforcement (Psychology) Task performance Alcoholism Adults Pearson correlation (Statistics) Scientific observation Multiple regression analysis Acquisition of property Descriptive statistics Chi-squared test Longitudinal method Alcohols (Chemical class) Data analysis software Confidence intervals sug: subj: Reinforcement (Psychology) Task performance Alcoholism Adults Ethyl Alcohol Manufacturing Pearson correlation (Statistics) Scientific observation Multiple regression analysis Acquisition of property Descriptive statistics Chi-squared test Longitudinal method Alcohols (Chemical class) Data analysis software Confidence intervals keyword: alcohol behavioral economics demand emerging adults purchase task alcohol behavioral economics demand emerging adults purchase task ab: Alcohol demand, reflecting the relative reinforcing value of alcohol, is robustly associated with alcohol use and problems. Alcohol demand is typically assessed using alcohol purchase tasks (APTs) in which participants estimate alcohol consumption at escalating prices, with the resulting demand curves yielding multiple indices of value. Although generally efficient, full-length APTs pose some burden and existing short forms cannot produce individual demand curves or derived indices. Thus, we developed a brief adjusting APT using an algorithm to identify 5–6 items from a full-length APT based on an individual's level of alcohol demand. Two independent samples of heavy-drinking young adults (Sample 1: N = 725, M = 21.43 years; Sample 2: N = 588, M = 22.64 years) completed an assessment that included a full-length APT and measures of alcohol use and problems. Using a binary-search-style algorithm, brief APT responses were extracted from the full-length APT. In each sample, individual demand curves from the brief APT fit the data well. Observed (intensity, O, breakpoint) and derived (elasticity) demand indices robustly corresponded with the full-length APT, including similar mean estimates and high correlations (r ≥ 0.79) between corresponding indices from the brief and full-length APTs. Demand indices from the brief APT were associated with alcohol use and problems, and associations of corresponding indices from the brief and full-length APTs with alcohol use outcomes were of equivalent magnitude. These findings provide initial support for a brief adjusting APT as a measure of alcohol demand. Future research should further evaluate this measure, including stand-alone administration and detection of within-person changes in alcohol demand. Public Significance Statement: The reinforcing value of alcohol (i.e., alcohol demand) is an important determinant of alcohol consumption and harms, and this study provides initial support for the validity of a brief measure of alcohol demand. Reducing participant burden relative to traditional fixed-item alcohol purchase tasks, this brief measure may permit more widespread assessment of alcohol demand, although further evaluation remains warranted. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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