Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Brief Approach and Avoidance of Alcohol Questionnaire

Abstract

Background:The Approach and Avoidance of Alcohol questionnaire (AAAQ) was developed as a measure of craving to assess both desires to consume and desires to avoid consuming alcohol. Although the measure has been used in a variety of populations to predict future alcohol use behavior, the factor structures observed varies based on sample type (e.g., clinical versus college samples) and may be overly long for use in repeated measure designs. The current article describes the development of a brief version of the AAAQ for use in clinical populations.Methods: Using existing data sets of individuals in treatment for alcohol use disorder, exploratory analyses (e.g. exploratory factor analysis and item response theory) were conducted using an inpatient sample (N=298) at a substance abuse treatment facility. Confirmatory analyses (e.g., confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression) were conducted using an inpatient detoxification sample (N=175) and a longitudinal outpatient treatment sample (N=53). Results:The brief AAAQ had comparable internal consistency, explained a similar amount of variance in alcohol consumption and related problems, and exhibited superior model fit as compared to the original measure.

Support for a two‐dimensional model of food craving using self‐report questionnaire and cue‐reactivity methodologies

“…These differences may be products of both study methodology and population. Indeed, similar correlation patterns are noted in the alcohol use literature (Levine et al, 2019; Schlauch, Rice, Connors, & Lang, 2015). The FAAQ asks participants to rate items based on the past week, a timeframe during which they are likely confronted with food cues that activate both approach and avoidance inclinations.…”

Profiling ambivalence in the context of nonsuicidal self‐injury

“…Members of the approach profile responded with the highest levels of approach tendencies, the ambivalent profiles responded with moderate levels, and the avoid profile responded with the lowest levels. One exception of our expectations was that the avoid profile scored lowest on the avoid subscale of the adapted BAAAQ (Levine et al, 2019) This could reflect the nature of some items. The avoidance subscale measures behavioral avoidance.…”

“…Participants were asked the extent to which they would have "liked to engage in NSSI" in the past year. The original version has demonstrated sound internal consistency in the alcoholuse literature (Levine et al, 2019) and reliability was good in our sample (approach: α = 0.92; avoid: α = 0.86).…”

“…Tendencies to approach or avoid NSSI were assessed using an adapted version of the Brief Approach Avoid Alcohol Questionnaire ([BAAAQ]; Levine et al, 2019 ). Participants were asked the extent to which they would have “liked to engage in NSSI” in the past year.…”