Cue reactivity in adolescents: measurement of separate approach and avoidance reactions.
OBJECTIVE
There were two specific goals for the current study: (1) to demonstrate that adolescents display drug-specific cue reactivity to alcohol and cigarette visual cues that varies based on drug-use history and (2) to test the unique contribution of adolescents' avoidance reactions to alcohol and cigarette cues, independent of approach/craving reaction.


METHODS
Adolescents (N = 143; age 13-20 years; 58 males) with varied substance-use histories were recruited from school and community sites. Adolescents were presented with a series of alcohol, cigarette, and nondrug comparison visual cues and reported their approach/craving and avoidance reactions. They also completed individual difference measures related to their alcohol and cigarette use and experiences.


RESULTS
When adolescents were grouped according to their current alcohol or cigarette use (no use, low use, high use), increased use of alcohol or cigarettes was associated with stronger reactions (increased approach, decreased avoidance) to cues for that substance but not to nondrug control cues. Simultaneous regression analyses demonstrated that after controlling for approach/craving reactions, avoidance cue reactions predicted unique and/or incremental variance in measures of alcohol and cigarette usage, recent change in patterns of use, alcohol expectancies, alcohol restraint and parental alcohol problems.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents displayed robust alcohol and cigarette cue-specific reactions that varied systematically with their current use of these drugs. Across numerous clinically relevant individual difference variables, predictive power was greatly enhanced through the inclusion of both avoidance and approach reactions.
Curtin
John J
JJ
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology, 1202 West Johnson Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, USA. jjcurtin@wisc.edu
Barnett
Nancy P
NP
Colby
Suzanne M
SM
Rohsenow
Damaris J
DJ
Monti
Peter M
PM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003463:Cues; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires