title: The ad-libitum alcohol 'taste test': secondary analyses of potential confounds and construct validity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Motivation to drink alcohol can be measured in the laboratory using an ad-libitum 'taste test', in which participants rate the taste of alcoholic drinks whilst their intake is covertly monitored. Little is known about the construct validity of this paradigm.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to investigate variables that may compromise the validity of this paradigm and its construct validity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We re-analysed data from 12 studies from our laboratory that incorporated an ad-libitum taste test. We considered time of day and participants' awareness of the purpose of the taste test as potential confounding variables. We examined whether gender, typical alcohol consumption, subjective craving, scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and perceived pleasantness of the drinks predicted ad-libitum consumption (construct validity).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We included 762 participants (462 female). Participant awareness and time of day were not related to ad-libitum alcohol consumption. Males drank significantly more alcohol than females (p < 0.001), and individual differences in typical alcohol consumption (p = 0.04), craving (p < 0.001) and perceived pleasantness of the drinks (p = 0.04) were all significant predictors of ad-libitum consumption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found little evidence that time of day or participant awareness influenced alcohol consumption. The construct validity of the taste test was supported by relationships between ad-libitum consumption and typical alcohol consumption, craving and pleasantness ratings of the drinks. The ad-libitum taste test is a valid method for the assessment of alcohol intake in the laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK. ajj@liv.ac.uk.|UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Liverpool, UK. ajj@liv.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Button
authors.affiliation: Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK.|UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Abigail K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK.|UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.affiliation: Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK.|UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Christiansen
authors.affiliation: Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK.|UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Di Lemma
authors.affiliation: Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK.|UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066249:Craving; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009042:Motivation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000187:drug effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Ad-libitum; Alcohol; Awareness; Construct validity; Craving; Taste test