Background and aims Although increases in subjective alcohol craving have been observed following moderate doses of alcohol (e.g., priming effects), the effects of alcohol consumption on behavioral economic demand for alcohol are largely unstudied. This study examined the effects of alcohol intoxication on alcohol demand and craving. Design A between-subjects design in which participants were randomly assigned to either an alcohol (n = 31), placebo (n = 29) or control (n = 25) condition. Setting A laboratory setting at the University of Missouri, USA. Participants Eighty-five young adult moderate drinkers were recruited from the University of Missouri and surrounding community. Measurements Change in demand for alcohol across time was measured using three single items: alcohol consumption at no cost (i.e., intensity), maximum price paid for a single drink (i.e., breakpoint), and total amount spent on alcohol (i.e., Omax). Alcohol demand at baseline was also assessed using an alcohol purchase task (APT). Craving was assessed using a single visual analog scale item. Findings In the alcohol group compared with the combined non-alcohol groups, intensity, breakpoint, and craving increased from baseline to the ascending limb and decreased thereafter (ps < 0.05; Omax p = 0.06). Change in craving following alcohol consumption was significantly associated with change in each of the demand indices (ps < 0.0001). Finally, the demand single items were associated with corresponding indices from the APT (ps < 0.01). Conclusions Alcohol demand increases following intoxication, in terms of both the maximum amount people are willing to pay for one drink and the number of drinks people would consume if drinks were free. Behavioral economic measures of alcohol value can complement subjective craving as measures of moment-to-moment fluctuations in drinking motivation following intoxication.

Behavioral economic purchase tasks can be readily used to assess demand for a number of addictive substances including alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs. However, several methodological limitations associated with the techniques used to quantify demand may reduce the utility of demand measures. In the present study, we sought to introduce area under the curve (AUC), commonly used to quantify degree of delay discounting, as a novel index of demand. A sample of 207 heavy drinking college students completed a standard alcohol purchase task and provided information about typical weekly drinking patterns and alcohol-related problems. Level of alcohol demand was quantified using AUC – which reflects the entire amount of consumption across all drink prices - as well as the standard demand indices (e.g., intensity, breakpoint, Omax, Pmax, and elasticity). Results indicated that AUC was significantly correlated with each of the other demand indices (rs = .42–.92), with particularly strong associations with Omax (r = .92). In regression models, AUC and intensity were significant predictors of weekly drinking quantity and AUC uniquely predicted alcohol-related problems, even after controlling for drinking level. In a parallel set of analyses, Omax also predicted drinking quantity and alcohol problems, although Omax was not a unique predictor of the latter. These results offer initial support for using AUC as an index of alcohol demand. Additional research is necessary to further validate this approach and to examine its utility in quantifying demand for other addictive substances such as tobacco and illicit drugs.

We examined risky sexual choice under the lens of rational decision-making. Participants ( N = 257) completed a novel sexual-choice task in which they selected from among hypothetical sexual partners varying in physical attractiveness and in the probability that one would contract a sexually transmitted infection (STI) from a one-time sexual encounter with them. We found that nearly all participants evaluated the sexual-choice alternatives in a coherent fashion consistent with utility-based theories of rational choice. In subsequent analyses, we classified participants’ responses according to whether their sexual preferences were based on maximizing attractiveness or minimizing the risk of STIs. Finally, we established an association between sexual choice in our task and reported real-world sexual risk-taking.

Background and aims Despite widespread negative perceptions, the prevalence of alcohol‐impaired driving (AID) in the United States remains unacceptably high. This study used a novel decision task to evaluate whether individuals considered both ride service cost and alcohol consumption level when deciding whether or not to drive, and whether the resulting strategy was associated with engagement in AID. Design A two‐sample study, where sample 1 developed a novel AID decision task to classify participants by decision strategy. Sample 2 was used to cross‐validate the task and examine whether decision strategy classifications were predictive of prior reported AID behavior. Setting A laboratory setting at the University of Missouri, USA. Participants Sample 1 included 38 student participants from introductory psychology classes at the University of Missouri. Sample 2 included 67 young adult participants recruited from the local community. Measurements We developed a decision task that presented hypothetical drinking scenarios that varied in quantity of alcohol consumption (one to six drinks) and the cost of a ride service ($5–25). We applied a Bayesian computational model to classify choices as consistent with either: integrating both ride cost and consumption level (compensatory) or considering only consumption level (non‐compensatory) when making hypothetical AID decisions. In sample 2, we assessed established AID risk factors (sex, recent alcohol consumption, perceived safe limit) and recent (past 3 months) engagement in AID. Findings In sample 1, the majority of participants were classified as using decision strategies consistent with either a compensatory or non‐compensatory process. Results from sample 2 replicated the overall classification rate and demonstrated that participants who used a compensatory strategy were more likely to report recent AID, even after accounting for study covariates. Conclusions In a hypothetical alcohol‐impaired driving (AID) decision task, individuals who considered both consumption level and ride service cost were more likely to report recent AID than those who made decisions based entirely on consumption level.

The UPPS-P model posits that impulsivity comprises five factors: positive urgency, negative urgency, lack of planning, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking. Negative and positive urgency are the traits most consistently associated with alcohol problems. However, previous work has examined alcohol problems either individually or in the aggregate, rather than examining multiple problem domains simultaneously. Recent work has also questioned the utility of distinguishing between positive and negative urgency, as this distinction did not meaningfully differ in predicting domains of psychopathology. The aims of this study were to address these issues by (a) testing unique associations of UPPS-P with specific domains of alcohol problems and (b) determining the utility of distinguishing between positive and negative urgency as risk factors for specific alcohol problems. Method: Associations between UPPS-P traits and alcohol problem domains were examined in two cross-sectional data sets using negative binomial regression models. Results: In both samples, negative urgency was associated with social/interpersonal, self-perception, risky behaviors, and blackout drinking problems. Positive urgency was associated with academic/ occupational and physiological dependence problems. Both urgency traits were associated with impaired control and self-care problems. Associations for other UPPS-P traits did not replicate across samples. Conclusions: Results indicate that negative and positive urgency have differential associations with alcohol problem domains. Results also suggest a distinction between the type of alcohol problems associated with these traits-negative urgency was associated with problems experienced during a drinking episode, whereas positive urgency was associated with alcohol problems that result from longer-term drinking trends. (J. Stud.

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Addiction is a growing public health crisis, yet comparatively very few health services psychology programs include formal training in addiction science (Dimoff, Sayette, & Norcross, 2017). Health services psychologists (i.e., psychologists who integrate psychological science and practice to understand development and functioning; APA, 2015) are well suited to study and treat addiction, and doctoral-level training is an ideal time to prepare future health services psychologists to do so. One possible barrier to incorporating addiction science training is the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach to study and treat addiction and related health behaviors. We focus primarily on clinical science training and argue for a multifaceted approach to doctoral training in addiction science that would prepare trainees for research careers. The proposed training model emphasizes the importance of mentorship, coursework, grant preparation, responsible conduct of research, prevention, intervention, and treatment and invited speakers and conference attendance. Each of these components is discussed with an emphasis on addiction science. We offer suggestions for incorporating portions of this training model for programs with few addiction science-related resources. We also discuss the importance of enhancing diversity and inclusion in addiction training and offer brief recommendations on this topic. Public Significance StatementAddiction is a growing public health crisis. Health services psychologists are in a unique position to contribute to the understanding and treatment of this problem. This article describes important training considerations for health services psychology doctoral programs.

Individual differences in subjective response to alcohol play a crucial role in the development of heavy drinking and related problems. In light of this, a growing focus of research has been identifying factors that contribute to differences in response. The aim of the present study was to determine whether individual differences in the subjective experience of rewarding and aversive effects of alcohol are a specific manifestation of general differences in reward and punishment sensitivity. Eighty-nine participants (M age = 22.4, SD = 1.9; 47.2% women) consumed a moderate dose of alcohol, i.e., peak breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) ≈ 0.080 g%, and rated their level of stimulation and sedation at seven timepoints over the BrAC curve. Sensitivity to reward and punishment were assessed by a self-report questionnaire prior to consumption. Multilevel growth models showed that post-consumption changes in stimulation ratings varied as a function of participants’ level of reward and punishment sensitivity. Drinkers more sensitive to reward reported feeling more stimulated shortly after drinking and exhibited an attenuated rate of decline in stimulation over the blood alcohol curve, relative to drinkers with less strong reward sensitivity. Reward sensitivity was not related to subjective ratings of sedation, and punishment sensitivity was not related to either stimulation or sedation ratings. Findings suggest that reward sensitivity may increase risk for alcohol misuse among young adult social drinkers by increasing their subjective feelings of stimulation while drinking.