title: Behavioral economic measures of alcohol reward value as problem severity indicators in college students.
abstract: The aims of the current study were to examine the associations among behavioral economic measures of alcohol value derived from 3 distinct measurement approaches, and to evaluate their respective relations with traditional indicators of alcohol problem severity in college drinkers. Five behavioral economic metrics were derived from hypothetical demand curves that quantify reward value by plotting consumption and expenditures as a function of price, another metric measured proportional behavioral allocation and enjoyment related to alcohol versus other activities, and a final metric measured relative discretionary expenditures on alcohol (RDEA). The sample included 207 heavy-drinking college students (53% female) who were recruited through an on-campus health center or university courses. Factor analysis revealed that the alcohol valuation construct comprises 2 factors: 1 factor that reflects participants' levels of alcohol price sensitivity (demand persistence), and a second factor that reflects participants' maximum consumption and monetary and behavioral allocation toward alcohol (amplitude of demand). The demand persistence and behavioral allocation metrics demonstrated the strongest and most consistent multivariate relations with alcohol-related problems, even when controlling for other well-established predictors. The results suggest that behavioral economic indices of reward value show meaningful relations with alcohol problem severity in young adults. Despite the presence of some gender differences, these measures appear to be useful problem indicators for men and women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis.
authors.forename: Jessica R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Skidmore
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis.
authors.forename: James G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, University of Missouri.
authors.forename: Matthew P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Martens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000191:economics* / Q000523:psychology; D060909:Economics, Behavioral / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012201:Reward; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: Annu Rev Clin Psychol. 2014;10:641-77
references.pmid: 24679180
references.citation: Psychol Addict Behav. 2011 Mar;25(1):57-68
references.pmid: 21142332
references.citation: J Stud Alcohol Drugs Suppl. 2009 Jul;(16):12-20
references.pmid: 19538908
references.citation: Psychol Addict Behav. 2010 Dec;24(4):571-80
references.pmid: 21198220
references.citation: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2010 Dec;18(6):521-9
references.pmid: 21186926
references.citation: Psychiatry Res. 2012 Jul 30;203(1):75-82
references.pmid: 22841343
references.citation: Psychol Addict Behav. 2000 Jun;14(2):91-101
references.pmid: 10860108
references.citation: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2009 Oct 1;104 Suppl 1:S70-8
references.pmid: 19136222
references.citation: Psychol Addict Behav. 2011 Dec;25(4):595-604
references.pmid: 21988480
references.citation: J Stud Alcohol. 2005 Sep;66(5):698-705
references.pmid: 16329461
references.citation: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2000 Nov;8(4):493-508
references.pmid: 11127421
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 2006 Apr;74(2):317-26
references.pmid: 16649876
references.citation: Addict Behav. 1998 Sep-Oct;23(5):705-9
references.pmid: 9768306
references.citation: Psychol Rev. 2008 Jan;115(1):186-98
references.pmid: 18211190
references.citation: J Stud Alcohol. 2006 Jan;67(1):169-77
references.pmid: 16536141
references.citation: Addict Behav. 2007 Nov;32(11):2597-610
references.pmid: 17706888
references.citation: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2009 Dec;17(6):396-404
references.pmid: 19968404
references.citation: Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Feb 1;69(3):260-5
references.pmid: 20965498
references.citation: J Genet Psychol. 2008 Sep;169(3):281-8
references.pmid: 18788328
references.citation: J Exp Anal Behav. 1970 Mar;13(2):243-66
references.pmid: 16811440
references.citation: Psychol Addict Behav. 2013 Jun;27(2):403-15
references.pmid: 22663343
references.citation: Addict Behav. 2003 Mar;28(2):361-8
references.pmid: 12573686
references.citation: Psychol Addict Behav. 2010 Dec;24(4):628-39
references.pmid: 21198224
references.citation: Clin Psychol Rev. 2013 Dec;33(8):1025-40
references.pmid: 24036089
references.citation: J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2011 Nov;72(6):991-9
references.pmid: 22051213
references.citation: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2006 May;14(2):219-27
references.pmid: 16756426
references.citation: J Stud Alcohol. 2001 Jan;62(1):23-31
references.pmid: 11271961
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 2012 Oct;80(5):876-86
references.pmid: 22663899
references.citation: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2000 Dec;153(1):44-56
references.pmid: 11255928
references.citation: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005 Mar;62(3):321-7
references.pmid: 15753245
references.citation: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2008 Aug;16(4):332-40
references.pmid: 18729688
references.citation: Addict Behav. 2012 Nov;37(11):1257-63
references.pmid: 22727784
references.citation: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2014 Mar;231(5):889-97
references.pmid: 24217899
references.citation: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 1999 Nov;7(4):412-26
references.pmid: 10609976
references.citation: J Abnorm Psychol. 2001 Aug;110(3):378-91
references.pmid: 11502081
references.citation: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2011 Aug;216(3):305-21
references.pmid: 21373791
references.citation: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2011 Jan 15;113(2-3):207-14
references.pmid: 20832200
references.citation: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2008 Feb;16(1):57-65
references.pmid: 18266552
references.citation: Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2010 Aug;34(8):1334-45
references.pmid: 20491733
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 2009 Apr;77(2):219-28
references.pmid: 19309182
references.citation: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2012 Oct;20(5):390-9
references.pmid: 22889038
references.citation: J Stud Alcohol. 2006 Nov;67(6):837-40
references.pmid: 17061000
references.citation: Clin Psychol Rev. 2003 Oct;23(5):719-59
references.pmid: 12971907
references.citation: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2013 Jan 1;127(1-3):129-36
references.pmid: 22809894
references.citation: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2002 Aug;10(3):248-57
references.pmid: 12233985
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 1990 Dec;58(6):805-10
references.pmid: 2292630
references.citation: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2011 Nov 1;118(2-3):504-7
references.pmid: 21612879
references.citation: Curr Drug Abuse Rev. 2012 Dec;5(4):257-72
references.pmid: 23062106
references.citation: J Youth Adolesc. 1991 Apr;20(2):149-66
references.pmid: 24265004
references.citation: Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2012 Apr;36(4):716-24
references.pmid: 22017303
references.citation: J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2013 May;74(3):490-9
references.pmid: 23490580
references.citation: J Consult Clin Psychol. 1985 Apr;53(2):189-200
references.pmid: 3998247
references.citation: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2003 Dec 11;72(3):279-86
references.pmid: 14643945
references.citation: J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2012 Jul;73(4):686-98
references.pmid: 22630807
references.citation: J Abnorm Psychol. 2010 Feb;119(1):106-14
references.pmid: 20141247
references.citation: Neuroimage. 2010 Feb 1;49(3):2536-43
references.pmid: 19913102
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 2005 Mar;95(3):453-7
references.pmid: 15727976
references.citation: Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2009 Mar;203(1):33-40
references.pmid: 18925387
references.citation: Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2005 May;13(2):93-101
references.pmid: 15943542
references.citation: Am J Addict. 2007 Mar-Apr;16(2):131-7
references.pmid: 17453615
references.citation: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2007 Jul 10;89(2-3):227-33
references.pmid: 17289297
references.citation: Addiction. 2010 Sep;105(9):1599-607
references.pmid: 20626376