title: Validation of a measure of excessive drinking: frequency per year that BAL exceeds 0.08%.
abstract: Although self-report data are generally evaluated as reliable, validity estimates for self-reported drinking behavior are not as favorable. A new method of measurement addressing problems currently associated with the questionable validity of self-report drinking information is introduced. Study 1 tests the correspondence between the new measure (occasions per year blood alcohol level exceeded 0.08%), traditional self-report measures, and laboratory alcohol consumption. The novel measure correlated most strongly with volume of alcohol consumed in the laboratory compared to the traditional measures. In Study 2 the novel measure was favored over a traditional measure when discriminating between the presence and absence of problem-drinking symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Conrod
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Pihl
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014342:Truth Disclosure
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol