title: The craving experience questionnaire: a brief, theory-based measure of consummatory desire and craving.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Research into craving is hampered by lack of theoretical specification and a plethora of substance-specific measures. This study aimed to develop a generic measure of craving based on elaborated intrusion (EI) theory. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) examined whether a generic measure replicated the three-factor structure of the Alcohol Craving Experience (ACE) scale over different consummatory targets and time-frames.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve studies were pooled for CFA. Targets included alcohol, cigarettes, chocolate and food. Focal periods varied from the present moment to the previous week. Separate analyses were conducted for strength and frequency forms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine studies included university students, with single studies drawn from an internet survey, a community sample of smokers and alcohol-dependent out-patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A heterogeneous sample of 1230 participants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adaptations of the ACE questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both craving strength [comparative fit indices (CFI = 0.974; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.039, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.035-0.044] and frequency (CFI = 0.971, RMSEA = 0.049, 95% CI = 0.044-0.055) gave an acceptable three-factor solution across desired targets that mapped onto the structure of the original ACE (intensity, imagery, intrusiveness), after removing an item, re-allocating another and taking intercorrelated error terms into account. Similar structures were obtained across time-frames and targets. Preliminary validity data on the resulting 10-item Craving Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) for cigarettes and alcohol were strong.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Craving Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) is a brief, conceptually grounded and psychometrically sound measure of desires. It demonstrates a consistent factor structure across a range of consummatory targets in both laboratory and clinical contexts.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Cognition Institute, Plymouth University, Plymouth, UK.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kavanagh
authors.forename: Gerald F X
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Feeney
authors.forename: Mathew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gullo
authors.forename: Dixie J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Statham
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Skorka-Brown
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cassimatis
authors.forename: Ross McD
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: Jason P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Connor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D002099:Cacao; D066249:Craving; D000431:Ethanol; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D062789:Tobacco Products; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Alcohol; assessment; chocolate; craving; food; measure; tobacco