title: Reflections on a proposed theory of reservation-dwelling American Indian alcohol use: comment on Spillane and Smith (2007).
abstract: In their recent article, N. Spillane and G. Smith suggested that reservation-dwelling American Indians have higher rates of problem drinking than do either non-American Indians or those American Indians living in nonreservation settings. These authors further argued that problematic alcohol use patterns in reservation communities are due to the lack of contingencies between drinking and "standard life reinforcers" (SLRs), such as employment, housing, education, and health care. This comment presents evidence that these arguments were based on a partial review of the literature. Weaknesses in the application of SLR constructs to American Indian reservation communities are identified as is the need for culturally contextualized empirical evidence supporting this theory and its application. Cautionary notes are offered about the development of literature reviews, theoretical frameworks, and policy recommendations for American Indian communities.
authors.affiliation: American Indian and Alaska Native Programs, University of Colorado, Denver, Aurora, CO 80045 USA. jan.beals@ucdenver.edu
authors.forename: Janette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beals
authors.forename: Annie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belcourt-Dittloff
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Freedenthal
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Whitesell
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Albright
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Beauvais
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Belcourt
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: Candace
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fleming
authors.forename: Natasha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Floersch
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jervis
authors.forename: Billie Jo
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kipp
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mail
authors.forename: Spero
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manson
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mohatt
authors.forename: Bradley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Novins
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Connell
authors.forename: Tassy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Quintero
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Spicer
authors.forename: Arlene
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stiffman
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trimble
authors.forename: Kamilla
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Venner
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Walters
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology*; D009042:Motivation; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States