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Hur KH, Meisler SL, Yassin W, Frederick BB, Kohut SJ. Prefrontal-Limbic Circuitry Is Associated With Reward Sensitivity in Nonhuman Primates. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:473-485. [PMID: 38432521 PMCID: PMC11338745 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.02.1011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormal reward sensitivity is a risk factor for psychiatric disorders, including eating disorders such as overeating and binge-eating disorder, but the brain structural mechanisms that underlie it are not completely understood. Here, we sought to investigate the relationship between multimodal whole-brain structural features and reward sensitivity in nonhuman primates. METHODS Reward sensitivity was evaluated through behavioral economic analysis in which monkeys (adult rhesus macaques; 7 female, 5 male) responded for sweetened condensed milk (10%, 30%, 56%), Gatorade, or water using an operant procedure in which the response requirement increased incrementally across sessions (i.e., fixed ratio 1, 3, 10). Animals were divided into high (n = 6) or low (n = 6) reward sensitivity groups based on essential value for 30% milk. Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure gray matter volume and white matter microstructure. Brain structural features were compared between groups, and their correlations with reward sensitivity for various stimuli was investigated. RESULTS Animals in the high sensitivity group had greater dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, centromedial amygdaloid complex, and middle cingulate cortex volumes than animals in the low sensitivity group. Furthermore, compared with monkeys in the low sensitivity group, high sensitivity monkeys had lower fractional anisotropy in the left dorsal cingulate bundle connecting the centromedial amygdaloid complex and middle cingulate cortex to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and in the left superior longitudinal fasciculus 1 connecting the middle cingulate cortex to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that neuroanatomical variation in prefrontal-limbic circuitry is associated with reward sensitivity. These brain structural features may serve as predictive biomarkers for vulnerability to food-based and other reward-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwang-Hyun Hur
- Behavioral Neuroimaging Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Steven L Meisler
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Walid Yassin
- Behavioral Neuroimaging Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Blaise B Frederick
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
| | - Stephen J Kohut
- Behavioral Neuroimaging Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts.
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2
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Lambert JM, Osina MA, Copeland BA. Reinforcer value moderates response magnitude and persistence during extinction: A randomized trial. J Appl Behav Anal 2024; 57:615-634. [PMID: 38825878 PMCID: PMC11421852 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.1088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Extinction bursts, or temporary increases in rates and intensities of behavior during extinction, can preclude the inclusion of extinction in intervention packages meant to suppress severe challenging behavior. To identify underlying behavioral mechanisms responsible for response persistence and bursting, 69 adults with developmental disabilities completed a low-stakes translational investigation employing a 2 × 2 factorial, crossed, and randomized matched blocks design, with batched randomization logic. In each of the four test groups, we made distinct antecedent manipulations with two value parameters commonly studied through behavioral economics (i.e., demand intensity, Pmax) and evaluated the extent to which each of these manipulations influenced target responding during extinction. Although we found statistically significant differences attributable to both parameters, variations in reinforcer consumption relative to demand intensity were most influential across all dependent variables. This outcome implicates consumption relative to demand intensity as both a mitigating and exacerbating preextinction factor that influences the prevalence of adverse collateral extinction effects (e.g., bursts).
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Lambert
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Maria A Osina
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Bailey A Copeland
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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3
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González-Roz A, Belisario K, Secades-Villa R, Muñiz J, MacKillop J. Behavioral economic analysis of legal and illegal cannabis demand in Spanish young adults with hazardous and non-hazardous cannabis use. Addict Behav 2024; 149:107878. [PMID: 37924581 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In October 2021, a legal framework that regulates cannabis for recreational purposes in Spain was proposed, but research on its potential impacts on cannabis use is currently limited. This study examined the reliability and discriminant validity of two Marijuana Purchase Tasks (MPTs) for measuring hypothetical legal and illegal cannabis demand, and to examine differences in demand of both commodities in young adults at hazardous vs. non-hazardous cannabis use risk levels. METHODS A total of 171 Spanish young adults [Mage = 19.82 (SD = 1.81)] with past-month cannabis use participated in a cross-sectional study from September to November 2021. Two 27-item MPTs were used to estimate hypothetical demand for legal and illegal cannabis independently. The Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test (CUDIT-R) was used to assess hazardous cannabis use and test for discriminant validity of the MPTs. Reliability analyses were conducted using Classical Test Theory (Cronbach's alpha) and Item Response Theory (Item Information Functions). RESULTS The MPT was reliable for measuring legal (α = 0.94) and illegal (α = 0.90) cannabis demand. Breakpoint (price at which demand ceases), and Pmax (price associated with maximum expenditure) were the most sensitive indicators to discriminate participants with different levels of the cannabis reinforcing trait. No significant differences between legal and illegal cannabis demand in the whole sample were observed, but hazardous vs. non-hazardous users showed higher legal and illegal demand, and decreased Breakpoint and Pmax if cannabis were legal vs illegal. CONCLUSION The MPT exhibits robust psychometric validity and may be useful to inform on cannabis regulatory science in Spain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba González-Roz
- Addictive Behaviors Research Group (GCA), Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo 33003, Spain.
| | - Kyla Belisario
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L9C 0E3, Canada
| | - Roberto Secades-Villa
- Addictive Behaviors Research Group (GCA), Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo 33003, Spain
| | - José Muñiz
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Nebrija, Madrid 28015, Spain
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L9C 0E3, Canada
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4
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White AM, Bono RS, Lester RC, Underwood M, Hoetger C, Lipato T, Bickel WK, Cobb CO, Barnes AJ. The electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) purchase task: Are results sensitive to price framing? Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 31:895-901. [PMID: 36480388 PMCID: PMC10257939 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Extension of the cigarette purchase task (CPT) to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) is complicated by the heterogeneous nature of this product class, as ambiguity exists regarding the appropriate price-frame (i.e., unit of the product being purchased). We explored correlations between ENDS purchase task (E-CPTs) outcomes featuring two common price-frames: 10 puffs and 1 mL of liquid. Adult exclusive ENDS users (N = 19) and dual users of ENDS and cigarettes (N = 16) completed two own-brand E-CPTs. One E-CPT used "10 puffs" as its price-frame; the other used "1 mL of liquid." Five outcomes were generated for each E-CPT: breakpoint, intensity, Omax, Pmax, and α. Exploratory Factor Analyses (EFA) considered how these outcomes captured latent structures of demand for ENDS. Spearman correlations in E-CPT outcomes assessed within-person variation between price-frames. Analyses also considered whether correlations differed by user group. E-CPT outcomes were highly correlated across price-frames (ρs > 0.57, ps < .001), and EFA revealed little difference in how outcomes from the tasks loaded onto two latent structures of demand ("Persistence" and "Amplitude") reported in the previous literature. The magnitude of correlations for E-CPT outcomes tended to be higher for exclusive ENDS users than for dual users. Participant responses to purchase task outcomes were similar across two E-CPT price-frames. Using "10 puffs" as a price-frame may be a generalizable approach among heterogenous groups of ENDS users, but researchers should consider their target population and structure the E-CPT to reflect participants' knowledge and purchasing behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Augustus M. White
- Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Department of Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Rose S. Bono
- Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Department of Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Rebecca C. Lester
- Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Megan Underwood
- Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Cosima Hoetger
- Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Department of Human Medicine, Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion, Witten/Herdecke University
| | - Thokozeni Lipato
- Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Warren K. Bickel
- Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
| | - Caroline O. Cobb
- Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Andrew J. Barnes
- Department of Psychology, Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Department of Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University
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González-Roz A, Martínez-Loredo V, Aston ER, Metrik J, Murphy J, Balodis I, Secades-Villa R, Belisario K, MacKillop J. Concurrent validity of the marijuana purchase task: a meta-analysis of trait-level cannabis demand and cannabis involvement. Addiction 2023; 118:620-633. [PMID: 36305652 PMCID: PMC10020890 DOI: 10.1111/add.16075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The Marijuana Purchase Task (MPT) is increasingly used to measure cannabis reinforcing value and has potential use for cannabis etiological and regulatory research. This meta-analysis sought to evaluate for the first time the MPT's concurrent validity in relation to cannabis involvement. METHODS Electronic databases and pre-print repositories were searched for MPT studies that examined the cross-sectional relationship between frequency and quantity of cannabis use, problems, dependence, and five MPT indicators: intensity (i.e. unrestricted consumption), Omax (i.e. maximum consumption), Pmax (i.e. price at which demand becomes elastic), breakpoint (i.e. first price at which consumption ceases), and elasticity (i.e. sensitivity to rising costs). Random effects meta-analyses of cross-sectional effect sizes were conducted, with Q tests for examining differences by cannabis variables, meta-regression to test quantitative moderators, and publication bias assessment. Moderators included sex, number of MPT prices, variable transformations, and year of publication. Populations included community and clinical samples. RESULTS The searches yielded 14 studies (n = 4077, median % females: 44.8%: weighted average age = 29.08 [SD = 6.82]), published between 2015 and 2022. Intensity, Omax , and elasticity showed the most robust concurrent validity (|r's| = 0.147-325, ps < 0.014) with the largest significant effect sizes for quantity (|r| intensity = 0.325) and cannabis dependence (|r| Omax = 0.320, |r| intensity = 0.305, |r| elasticity = 0.303). Higher proportion of males was associated with increased estimates for elasticity-quantity and Pmax -problems. Higher number of MPT prices significantly altered magnitude of effects sizes for Pmax and problems, suggesting biased estimations if excessively low prices are considered. Methodological quality was generally good, and minimal evidence of publication bias was observed. CONCLUSIONS The marijuana purchase task presents adequate concurrent validity to measure cannabis demand, most robustly for intensity, Omax , and elasticity. Moderating effects by sex suggest potentially meaningful sex differences in the reinforcing value of cannabis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba González-Roz
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Addictive Behaviors Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | | | - Elizabeth R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Jane Metrik
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
- Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA
| | - James Murphy
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Iris Balodis
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Roberto Secades-Villa
- Addictive Behaviors Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Kyla Belisario
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Rzeszutek MJ, Franck CT, Traxler HK, Kaplan BA, Koffarnus MN. Notes on demand: Conceptual and empirical benefits of applying Rachlin's discounting equation to demand data. PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS 2023; 37:57-71. [PMID: 36442017 PMCID: PMC9852225 DOI: 10.1037/adb0000889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Howard Rachlin wrote extensively on how value diminishes in a hyperbolic form, and he contributed to understanding choice processes between different commodities as a molar pattern of behavior. The field of behavioral economic demand has been dominated by exponential decay functions, indicating that decreases in consumption of a commodity are best fit by exponential functions. Because of the success of Rachlin's equation at describing how hyperbolic decay affects the value of a commodity across various factors (e.g., delay, probability, social distance), we attempted to extend his equation to behavioral economic demand data for alcohol and opioids. METHOD Rachlin's discounting equation was applied to estimate consumption on alcohol purchase task data and nonhuman drug demand data. We compared results of his equation to the exponentiated demand equation using both a mixed-effects modeling approach and a two-stage approach. RESULTS Rachlin's equation provided better fits to consumption data than the exponentiated equation for both mixed-effects and two-stage modeling. We also found that traditional demand metrics, such as Pmax, can be derived analytically when using Rachlin's equation. Certain metrics derived from Rachlin's equation appeared to be related to clinical covariates in ways similar to the exponentiated equation. CONCLUSIONS Rachlin's equation better described demand data than did the exponentiated equation, indicating that demand for a commodity may decrease hyperbolically rather than exponentially. Other benefits of his equation are that it does not have the same pitfalls as the current exponential equations and is relatively straightforward in its conceptualization when applied to demand data. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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7
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Schultz NR, Aston ER, Metrik J, Ramirez JJ. Can I see some ID? Examining validity of the marijuana purchase task among late adolescent cannabis users. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 31:238-247. [PMID: 35587422 PMCID: PMC9674799 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis demand (i.e., reinforcing value) can be assessed using a marijuana purchase task (MPT; assesses hypothetical purchasing of cannabis at escalating prices) and has been related to use frequency, problems, and cannabis use disorder symptoms in adults. Cannabis demand has yet to be studied in adolescents, which can inform prevention and intervention efforts to reduce cannabis-related risks. The present study sought to validate the MPT with a sample of late adolescent lifetime cannabis users. Participants aged 15-18 years old (n = 115, Mage = 16.9, SD = 0.9) residing in a state with legalized cannabis use completed online assessments at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Convergent and divergent validity was examined, while principal component analysis was conducted to determine the factor structure and assess predictive validity. Three indices, Omax (i.e., maximum expenditure on cannabis), breakpoint (i.e., price suppressing consumption to zero), and alpha (i.e., degree to which consumption decreases with increasing price) were all significantly associated with cannabis use, consequences, craving, and expenditures and significantly differentiated low-risk users and high-risk users as measured by the Cannabis Use Disorders Identification Test-Revised (CUDIT-R). A two-factor solution reflecting amplitude (intensity, alpha, Omax) and persistence (breakpoint, Pmax) was observed. Both factors were associated with cannabis use and consequences in baseline regression models. At follow-up, persistence was associated with consequences; amplitude was not associated with either outcome. These findings provide initial evidence that the MPT is a valid measure for assessing cannabis demand among adolescents and can be used to understand mechanisms of adolescent cannabis use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole R. Schultz
- Center for the Study of Health & Risk Behaviors (CSHRB), School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington
| | - Elizabeth R. Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health
| | - Jane Metrik
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health
- Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, Rhode Island, United States
| | - Jason J. Ramirez
- Center for the Study of Health & Risk Behaviors (CSHRB), School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington
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8
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Rzeszutek MJ, Kaplan BA, Traxler HK, Franck CT, Koffarnus MN. Hyperbolic discounting and exponentiated demand: Modeling demand for cigarettes in three dimensions. J Exp Anal Behav 2023; 119:169-191. [PMID: 36562640 PMCID: PMC9872831 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral economics has been a fruitful area of research in substance use. Mathematical descriptions of how individuals temporally discount the value of a commodity have been correlated with substance use and mathematical descriptions of drug consumption decreasing as a function of price (i.e., demand) predict maladaptive substance use. While there is a logical assumption that temporal factors affect demand for a drug, little has been done to merge these models. Thus, the purpose of this study was to combine models of discounting and demand, extending Howard Rachlin's work and contributions to novel areas of study. Data from 85 participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) who completed a hypothetical cigarette purchase task that included price of and delay to cigarettes were analyzed. Multilevel modeling was used to determine descriptive accuracy of combined additive and multiplicative models of discounting and demand. Of the discounting models used in conjunction with the exponentiated demand equation, the Rachlin hyperboloid best described the delay dimension of consumption. The multiplicative version of the Rachlin equation applied to both delay and price outperformed other models tested. Therefore, existing models of discounting and demand can be extended to modeling consumption data from complex multidimensional experimental arrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Rzeszutek
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky
| | - Brent A Kaplan
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky
| | - Haily K Traxler
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky
| | | | - Mikhail N Koffarnus
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky
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9
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Freitas-Lemos R, Stein JS, Tegge AN, Kaplan BA, Heckman BW, McNeill A, Cummings KM, Fong GT, Bickel WK. Illegal Experimental Tobacco Marketplace II: effects of vaping product bans - findings from the 2020 International Tobacco Control Project. Tob Control 2022; 31:s214-s222. [PMID: 36328461 PMCID: PMC9664097 DOI: 10.1136/tc-2022-057515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Restrictive e-cigarette policies may increase purchases from illegal sources. The Illegal Experimental Tobacco Marketplace (IETM) allows examination of how restrictions impact illegal purchases. We investigated (1) the effect of a vaping ban, total flavour vaping ban and partial flavour vaping ban on the probability of purchasing illegal vaping products among different regulatory environments (USA, Canada and England) and tobacco user types (cigarette smokers, dual users and e-cigarette users); and (2) the relation between ban endorsement and illegal purchases. METHODS Participants (N=459) from the International Tobacco Control Survey rated their support of bans and chose to purchase from a hypothetical legal experimental tobacco marketplace or IETM under control and the three ban conditions. RESULTS In total, 25% of cigarette smokers, 67% of dual users and 79% of e-cigarette users made IETM purchases. Cross-country comparisons depicted dual users from Canada (OR: 19.8), and e-cigarette users from the USA (OR: 12.9) exhibited higher illegal purchases odds than the same user type in England. Within-country comparisons showed e-cigarette and dual users are more likely to purchase from the IETM than cigarette smokers in the most restrictive condition, with the largest effects in e-cigarette users (England-OR: 1722.6, USA-OR: 22725.3, Canada-OR: 6125.0). Increased opposition towards partial or total flavour ban was associated with increased IETM purchasing in the corresponding condition. CONCLUSIONS Vaping restrictions may shift users' preference to the illegal marketplace in a regulatory environment. Evidence of the IETM generalisability in a geographically dispersed sample enhances its utility in tobacco regulatory science.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeffrey S Stein
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
| | - Allison N Tegge
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
| | - Brent A Kaplan
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Bryan W Heckman
- Center for the Study of Social Determinants on Health, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ann McNeill
- UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - K Michael Cummings
- Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Geoffrey T Fong
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.,Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Warren K Bickel
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
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10
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Freitas-Lemos R, Tegge AN, Craft WH, Tomlinson DC, Stein JS, Bickel WK. Understanding data quality: Instructional comprehension as a practical metric in crowdsourced investigations of behavioral economic cigarette demand. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2022; 30:415-423. [PMID: 35862135 PMCID: PMC9469988 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Crowdsourcing platforms allow researchers to quickly recruit and collect behavioral economic measures in substance-using populations, such as cigarette smokers. Despite the broad utility and flexibility, data quality issues have been an object of concern. In two separate studies recruiting cigarette smokers, we sought to investigate the association between a practical quality control measure (accuracy on an instruction quiz), on internal consistency of number of cigarettes smoked per day and purchasing patterns of tobacco products in an experimental tobacco marketplace (ETM; Study 1), and in a cigarette purchase task (CPT; Study 2). Participants (N = 312 in Study 1; N = 119 in Study 2) were recruited from Amazon mechanical turk. Both studies included task instructions, a quiz, a purchase task, cigarette usage and dependence questions, and demographics. The results show that participants who answered all instruction items correctly: (a) reported the number of cigarettes per day more consistently (partial η² = 0.11, p < .001, Study 1; partial η² = 0.09, p = .016, Study 2), (b) demonstrated increased model fit among the cigarette demand curves (partial η² = 0.23, p < .001, Study 1; partial η² = 0.08, p = .002, Study 2), and purchased tobacco products in the ETM more consistently with their current usage. We conclude that instruction quizzes before purchase tasks may be useful for researchers evaluating demand data. Instruction quizzes with multiple items may allow researchers to choose the level of data quality appropriate for their studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Allison N. Tegge
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA,Department of Statistics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - William H. Craft
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA,Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Devin C. Tomlinson
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA,Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Stein
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Warren K. Bickel
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
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11
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Rzeszutek MJ, Gipson-Reichardt CD, Kaplan BA, Koffarnus MN. Using crowdsourcing to study the differential effects of cross-drug withdrawal for cigarettes and opioids in a behavioral economic demand framework. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2022; 30:452-465. [PMID: 35201826 PMCID: PMC9308700 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Smoking rates among those who use prescribed or recreational opioids are significantly higher than the general population. Hypothesized neuropharmacological interactions between opioids and nicotine may contribute to this pattern of polysubstance use, especially during withdrawal. However, little research has examined how the withdrawal of one substance may affect the consumption of the other (i.e., cross-drug withdrawal effects). Behavioral economic demand tasks (e.g., hypothetical purchase tasks) can be used to quickly assess the value of a drug. Crowdsourcing can be a convenient tool to gain preliminary insight into different processes in substance valuation that may otherwise be impossible or prohibitively difficult to study. The purpose of the present study was to provide a preliminary examination of the effects of hypothetical withdrawal of cigarettes and opioids on the consumption of those drugs among polysubstance users. Amazon Mechanical Turk workers who reported daily smoking and at least monthly opioid use completed a series of hypothetical purchase tasks for doses of opioids and cigarettes under various withdrawal conditions. Sensitivity to the price of both drugs decreased when under withdrawal for either, indicating a higher drug value of cigarettes and opioids due to effects of cross-drug withdrawal. Nicotine and opioid dependence severity, impulsive choice, and riskiness were also positively related to drug purchasing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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12
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Motschman CA, Amlung M, McCarthy DM. Alcohol demand as a predictor of drinking behavior in the natural environment. Addiction 2022; 117:1887-1896. [PMID: 35112741 PMCID: PMC10061588 DOI: 10.1111/add.15822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Alcohol demand, a measure of alcohol's reinforcing value, is associated with greater alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. Although alcohol demand has primarily been evaluated as a 'trait-like', individual difference measure, recent evidence indicates that demand exhibits meaningful short-term fluctuations. We aimed to determine whether moment-to-moment fluctuations in alcohol demand in individuals' natural drinking environments predicted drinking occurrence, drinking continuation, and drinking quantity. DESIGN Observational study. SETTING Individuals' natural drinking environments in Columbia, Missouri, USA. PARTICIPANTS Eighty-nine young adults (56% female; mean age = 24.8) participated from November 2018 to October 2020. Participants reported 14.5 drinking days [standard deviation (SD = 8.1)] and 4.1 drinks per occasion (SD = 2.5) during ecological momentary assessment (EMA). MEASUREMENTS Participants completed the alcohol purchase task at baseline. Following this, participants reported on their alcohol demand (breakpoint, Omax , intensity) and drinking behavior during EMA at daily, timed prompts from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. They provided breathalyzer samples using a BACtrack Mobile® Pro. Models tested concurrent and prospective (lagged) associations between alcohol demand and drinking occurrence and drinking continuation after drinking initiation. Additional models tested concurrent associations between demand and breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs). FINDINGS Higher alcohol demand was associated with higher odds of drinking and continued drinking for all demand indices at the momentary [odds ratio (OR) = 1.27-1.56, ps ≤ 0.03] and day-level (OR = 2.14-3.39, ps < 0.001). Additionally, lagged demand predicted higher odds of drinking occurrence and continuation at the following prompt (OR = 1.32-1.53, ps ≤ 0.004). Higher alcohol demand was associated with higher BrACs at the momentary (bs = 0.0011-0.0026, ps ≤ 0.03) and day-level (bs = 0.0053-0.0062, ps < 0.001). At the person-level, findings varied depending on the demand measure. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol demand appears to be associated with both when and how much individuals drink in their natural drinking environments. Elevations in alcohol demand appear to be associated with increased likelihood of drinking and continuing to drink, and greater total alcohol consumption, both within and across drinking days.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Amlung
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.,Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Denis M McCarthy
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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13
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Mead-Morse EL, Cassidy RN, Oncken C, Tidey JW, Delnevo CD, Litt M. Validity of a little cigars/cigarillos purchase task in dual users of cigars and cigarettes. Addict Behav 2022; 130:107285. [PMID: 35255241 PMCID: PMC9254358 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hypothetical purchase tasks have been widely used to assess the reinforcing value of tobacco products. However, a task has not yet been validated for little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs), a popular tobacco product class among vulnerable populations. This study sought to validate the LCC Purchase Task (LCCPT) in a sample of experienced LCC smokers. METHODS Data were collected from 65 young adult (18-34 years) LCC and cigarette dual users (78.5% male) in Connecticut (2018-2020). Participants completed the usual-brand LCCPT for consumption in 24 h at increasing prices. We calculated four observed demand indices: intensity (consumption at $0), breakpoint (price after which consumption reaches 0), Omax (maximum daily expenditure), and Pmax (price at which daily expenditure was maximized). Two indices were estimated from demand curves: Q0 (predicted consumption as price approaches $0) and price-sensitivity (sensitivity to price increases). Spearman correlations and multivariable regressions examined the associations between demand indices, self-reported cigar use, and dependence. RESULTS Correlations were in expected directions. All indices except breakpoint and Pmax were positively correlated with use, and all indices were correlated with multiple measures of dependence. Overall, greater demand and expenditure for LCCs and lower sensitivity to price changes were correlated with greater use and dependence. In regression analyses intensity and price-sensitivity showed the strongest relationships with use and dependence. CONCLUSIONS The validity of the LCCPT was supported in a sample of experienced LCC smokers. This instrument can be incorporated into other protocols to assess the abuse liability of LCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Mead-Morse
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
| | - Rachel N Cassidy
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Box G-S121-4, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Cheryl Oncken
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Jennifer W Tidey
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Box G-S121-4, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Cristine D Delnevo
- Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies, 303 George St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Mark Litt
- Division of Behavioral Science and Community Health, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
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14
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Strickland JC, Bolin BL, Marks KR. (Non-) impact of task experience on behavioral economic decision-making. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2022; 30:338-350. [PMID: 33617281 PMCID: PMC8610096 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral economic research has been widely conducted via crowdsourcing resources to evaluate novel task designs or pilot interventions. One under recognized and yet-to-be tested concern is the impact of non-naïvety (i.e., prior task exposure) on behavioral economic task performance. We evaluated the influence of non-naïvety on task performance in two popular areas of behavioral economic research: behavioral economic demand and delay discounting. Participants (N = 485) recruited using Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk) completed alcohol and soda purchase tasks and delay discounting tasks for monetary and alcohol outcomes. Equivalence of responding and effect sizes with clinical variables were compared based on prior task experience. Over one quarter of participants reported demand task experience (26.9%) and nearly half endorsed delay discounting task experience (48.6%). Statistically equivalent responding was observed for alcohol purchase task data with less-than-small effect size differences based on task experience (d = 0.01-0.13). Similar results were observed for a soda purchase task thereby supporting generalization to a non-alcohol commodity. Measures of convergent and discriminant validity for behavioral economic demand indicated medium-to-large and stimulus-specific effect sizes with little variation based on prior task exposure. Delay discounting for money and alcohol showed some sensitivity to prior task experience (i.e., less steep discounting for non-naïve participants), however these effects were attenuated after accounting for group differences in alcohol use. These findings support the fidelity of behavioral economic task outcomes and emphasize that participant non-naïvety in crowdsourcing settings may minimally impact performance on behavioral economic assays commonly used in behavioral and addiction science. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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15
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Reed DD, Strickland JC, Gelino BW, Hursh SR, Jarmolowicz DP, Kaplan BA, Amlung M. Applied Behavioral Economics and Public Health Policies: Historical Precedence and Translational Promise. Behav Processes 2022; 198:104640. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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16
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Dolan SB, Spindle TR, Vandrey R, Johnson MW. Behavioral economic interactions between cannabis and alcohol purchasing: Associations with disordered use. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2022; 30:159-171. [PMID: 33001691 PMCID: PMC8209692 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
As cannabis policy changes, there is an urgent need to understand interactions between cannabis and alcohol couse. An online sample of 711 adult past-month cannabis and alcohol users completed both single-item hypothetical purchasing tasks for cannabis and alcohol and cross-commodity purchasing tasks assessing adjusting-price cannabis with concurrently available, fixed-price alcohol, and vice versa. Participants provided information about cannabis and alcohol use patterns, and completed the Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Tests (AUDIT and CUDIT, respectively). Group data showed that cannabis and alcohol served as complements (as the price of the adjusting-price commodity increased, consumption of both commodities decreased). However, individual data showed substantial variability with nontrivial proportions showing patterns of complementarity, substitution, and independence. More negative slopes (greater complementarity) for fixed-price cannabis and alcohol were both associated with greater self-reported drug consumption and CUDIT and AUDIT scores. The negative relation between cross-price slope and CUDIT/AUDIT score indicates that individuals who treat cannabis and alcohol more as complements are more likely to experience disordered use. Based on these cross-commodity purchasing data, when both cannabis and alcohol are concurrently available at low prices, both may be used at high levels, whereas limiting consumption of one commodity (e.g., through increased price) may reduce consumption of the other. These data show the importance of examining individual participant analyses of behavioral economic drug interactions and suggest that manipulation of cost (e.g., through taxes) or cosale restrictions are potential public health regulatory mechanisms for reducing alcohol and cannabis use and couse behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean B Dolan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | | | - Ryan Vandrey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
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17
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Kaplan BA, Crill EM, Franck CT, Bickel WK, Koffarnus MN. Blood Nicotine Predicts the Behavioral Economic Abuse Liability of Reduced-Nicotine Cigarettes. Nicotine Tob Res 2022; 24:728-735. [PMID: 34865118 PMCID: PMC8962718 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntab227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cigarette smoking continues to be a major health concern and remains the leading preventable cause of death in the US. Recent efforts have been made to determine the potential health and policy benefits of reducing nicotine in combustible cigarettes. The degree to which changes in blood nicotine relate to measures of the abuse liability of reduced-nicotine cigarettes is unknown. The current study examined the relation between blood nicotine and behavioral economic demand measures of cigarettes differing in nicotine content. METHODS Using a within-subject design, participants smoked a single cigarette during each experimental session. Cigarettes included the participant's usual-brand cigarette and SPECTRUM investigational cigarette differing in nicotine level (mg of nicotine to g of tobacco; 15.8 mg/g, 5.2 mg/g, 2.4 mg/g, 1.3 mg/g, and 0.4 mg/g). During each session, blood was collected at multiple timepoints and behavioral economic demand was assessed. Nonlinear mixed-effects models were used to estimate differences in derived intensity (Q0) and change in elasticity (α). RESULTS Measures of blood nicotine decreased in an orderly fashion related to nicotine level and significantly predicted change in elasticity (α), but not derived intensity. No differences in demand parameters between the usual brand and 15.8mg/g cigarettes were observed. However, α was significantly higher (lower valuation) for 0.4mg/g than 15.8mg/g cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS The lowest nicotine level (0.4mg/g) corresponded with the lowest abuse liability (α) compared to the full-strength control (15.8mg/g), with the 1.3mg/g level also resulting in low abuse liability. IMPLICATIONS This is the first study examining the relative contributions of nicotine content in cigarettes and blood nicotine levels on the behavioral economic demand abuse liability of cigarettes ranging in nicotine content. Our results suggest blood nicotine and nicotine content both predict behavioral economic demand abuse liability. In addition, our results suggest a nicotine content of 1.3mg/g or lower may be effective at reducing cigarette uptake among first-time (naïve) smokers. Our results largely conform to previous findings suggesting a very low nicotine content cigarette maintains lower abuse liability than full-strength cigarettes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent A Kaplan
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Elisa M Crill
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Warren K Bickel
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, VA, USA
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Mikhail N Koffarnus
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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18
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Stoops WW. A Brief Introduction to Human Behavioral Pharmacology: Methods, Design Considerations and Ethics. Perspect Behav Sci 2022; 45:361-381. [PMID: 35719875 PMCID: PMC9163231 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-022-00330-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human behavioral pharmacology methods have been used to rigorously evaluate the effects of a range of centrally acting drugs in humans under controlled conditions for decades. Methods like drug self-administration and drug discrimination have been adapted from nonhuman laboratory animal models. Because humans have the capacity to communicate verbally, self-report methods are also commonly used to understand drug effects. This perspective article provides an overview of these traditional human behavioral pharmacology methods and introduces some novel methodologies that have more recently been adapted for use in the field. Design (e.g., using placebo controls, testing multiple doses) and ethical (e.g., avoiding enrollment of individuals seeking treatment, determining capacity to consent) considerations that must be addressed when conducting these types of studies are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- William W. Stoops
- University of Kentucky, 1100 Veterans Drive, Medical Behavioral Science Building Room 140, Lexington, KY 40536-0086 USA
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19
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Abstract
Purpose of Review To explore relations between behavioral economic demand for cannabis and cannabis use disorder (CUD). Prior reviews have focused on drug demand in relation to use outcomes more generally. Complementing and enhancing prior work synthesizing research on cannabis demand, the present review endeavors to determine whether specific demand indices derived from the marijuana purchase task are most reliably related to CUD. Additionally, sociodemographic characteristics of participants in these studies were reviewed to identify whether certain populations were underrepresented in behavioral economic cannabis research. Recent Findings Behavioral economic demand is related to CUD; intensity and elasticity of cannabis demand were consistently associated with CUD diagnosis and severity. However, frequently, only select demand indices were assessed or reported, precluding the ability to confirm which indices are superior for denoting CUD risk. Further, most studies enrolled samples that were predominately young adults, Caucasian, and male. Summary As CUD becomes more prevalent in the wake of cannabis legalization, identification of robust predictors of CUD risk is paramount. Cannabis demand is consistently associated with CUD; however, individual indices of import in this relationship remain ambiguous. Subsequent research is needed to confirm index-specific markers of disordered cannabis use, and whether links between demand and CUD generalize across diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R. Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Box GS121-5, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Heath, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Benjamin L. Berey
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Box GS121-5, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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20
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Strickland JC, Reed DD, Hursh SR, Schwartz LP, Foster RNS, Gelino BW, LeComte RS, Oda FS, Salzer AR, Schneider TD, Dayton L, Latkin C, Johnson MW. Behavioral economic methods to inform infectious disease response: Prevention, testing, and vaccination in the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0258828. [PMID: 35045071 PMCID: PMC8769299 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of human behavior to thwart transmission of infectious diseases like COVID-19 is evident. Psychological and behavioral science are key areas to understand decision-making processes underlying engagement in preventive health behaviors. Here we adapt well validated methods from behavioral economic discounting and demand frameworks to evaluate variables (e.g., delay, cost, probability) known to impact health behavior engagement. We examine the contribution of these mechanisms within a broader response class of behaviors reflecting adherence to public health recommendations made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four crowdsourced samples (total N = 1,366) completed individual experiments probing a response class including social (physical) distancing, facemask wearing, COVID-19 testing, and COVID-19 vaccination. We also measure the extent to which choice architecture manipulations (e.g., framing, opt-in/opt-out) may promote (or discourage) behavior engagement. We find that people are more likely to socially distance when specified activities are framed as high risk, that facemask use during social interaction decreases systematically with greater social relationship, that describing delay until testing (rather than delay until results) increases testing likelihood, and that framing vaccine safety in a positive valence improves vaccine acceptance. These findings collectively emphasize the flexibility of methods from diverse areas of behavioral science for informing public health crisis management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C. Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Derek D. Reed
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
- Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Steven R. Hursh
- Applied Behavioral Biology Unit, Institutes for Behavior Resources, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Lindsay P. Schwartz
- Applied Behavioral Biology Unit, Institutes for Behavior Resources, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Rachel N. S. Foster
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Brett W. Gelino
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Robert S. LeComte
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Fernanda S. Oda
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Allyson R. Salzer
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Tadd D. Schneider
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Lauren Dayton
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Carl Latkin
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Matthew W. Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
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21
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Vedelago L, Wardell J, Kempe T, Patel H, Amlung M, MacKillop J, Keough M. Getting high to cope with COVID-19: Modelling the associations between cannabis demand, coping motives, and cannabis use and problems. Addict Behav 2022; 124:107092. [PMID: 34469783 PMCID: PMC8555961 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people may use substances like cannabis for enhancement or coping purposes. Behavioral economic demand for a substance is a key determinant of its use and misuse and can be measured via hypothetical purchase tasks. Previous research suggests that motivations to use a substance play a mediational role between elevated substance demand and problems, but comparable mechanistic research has yet to be done in the COVID-19 context and on the effects of cannabis demand on cannabis use patterns. Participants (n = 137) were recruited via the online crowdsourcing platform Prolific. Participants completed measures of cannabis use and problems, motivations for cannabis use, and the Marijuana Purchase Task. Two indices of demand, Persistence (i.e., sensitivity to increasing cost of cannabis) and Amplitude (i.e., consumption of cannabis at unrestricted cost), were related to increased cannabis problems via the use motive of coping during the COVID-19 pandemic. This model did not support the mediational role of enhancement motives. Those with increased cannabis demand who tend to use cannabis to cope are at increased risk of experiencing negative cannabis-related consequences during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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22
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Aston ER, Berey BL, Boyle HK, Riordan B, Merrill JE. Associations between alcohol demand and both the experience and subjective evaluation of positive and negative alcohol-related consequences. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:2357-2369. [PMID: 34843115 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Considerable variation exists in the extent to which alcohol-related consequences are evaluated as positive or negative. These evaluations, in turn, predict subsequent drinking behavior. Understanding the etiological pathways to positive and negative alcohol-related consequences is essential to the design of interventions aimed at reducing drinking consequences. Behavioral economic models posit that excessive alcohol valuation contributes to problematic use. Elevated alcohol demand (i.e., relative alcohol value) is associated with negative alcohol-related consequences; however, it is unclear whether demand is related to positive consequences or subjective consequence evaluations. METHODS College student drinkers (n = 114; 74.6% female) completed an online survey. Participants indicated whether they had ever experienced any of 24 negative and 14 positive consequences and subjectively evaluated their most recent experience of each consequence endorsed. An alcohol purchase task assessed hypothetical alcohol consumption across 14 prices and three observed demand indices were calculated: intensity (i.e., consumption at zero cost), Omax (i.e., maximum expenditure), and Pmax (i.e., price associated with maximum expenditure). Bivariate correlations and hierarchical regressions were used to test associations between observed demand indices and the number and subjective evaluations of positive and negative (researcher- and participant-defined) consequences. RESULTS Intensity and Omax , but not Pmax , were bivariately associated with researcher- and participant-defined negative and positive consequences. However, in hierarchical regression models that controlled for the maximum number of drinks consumed in a single day over the past month, only intensity was significantly associated with more negative and positive consequences. Intensity was associated with positive consequence evaluations in bivariate but not regression models. CONCLUSION Students with higher intensity reported more prior alcohol consequences (positive and negative), independent of drinking level. However, subjective evaluations of recent consequences did not vary as a function of demand. Results support using behavioral economic models to facilitate identifying etiologic pathways to alcohol consequences and suggest that novel interventions incorporating demand manipulation may reduce drinking consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Aston
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Benjamin L Berey
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Holly K Boyle
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Benjamin Riordan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jennifer E Merrill
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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23
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Applying Mixed-Effects Modeling to Behavioral Economic Demand: An Introduction. Perspect Behav Sci 2021; 44:333-358. [PMID: 34632281 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-021-00299-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral economic demand methodology is increasingly being used in various fields such as substance use and consumer behavior analysis. Traditional analytical techniques to fitting demand data have proven useful yet some of these approaches require preprocessing of data, ignore dependence in the data, and present statistical limitations. We term these approaches "fit to group" and "two stage" with the former interested in group or population level estimates and the latter interested in individual subject estimates. As an extension to these regression techniques, mixed-effect (or multilevel) modeling can serve as an improvement over these traditional methods. Notable benefits include providing simultaneous group (i.e., population) level estimates (with more accurate standard errors) and individual level predictions while accommodating the inclusion of "nonsystematic" response sets and covariates. These models can also accommodate complex experimental designs including repeated measures. The goal of this article is to introduce and provide a high-level overview of mixed-effects modeling techniques applied to behavioral economic demand data. We compare and contrast results from traditional techniques to that of the mixed-effects models across two datasets differing in species and experimental design. We discuss the relative benefits and drawbacks of these approaches and provide access to statistical code and data to support the analytical replicability of the comparisons. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40614-021-00299-7.
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Yoon JH, Suchting R, Cassidy RN, Bolin PK, Omar Y, Brown GS, De La Garza R. Assessment of demand for methamphetamine and cigarettes among individuals with methamphetamine use disorder. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2021; 29:334-344. [PMID: 32202813 PMCID: PMC7508771 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (MA) is a highly addictive stimulant with recent upward trends in prevalence and associated public health problems. Drug demand, as assessed by hypothetical purchasing tasks, has been useful in addictions research and may help our understanding of the factors influencing MA use. However, no studies have assessed MA demand using current models of demand. The purpose of the current study was to assess demand for MA using a hypothetical drug purchasing task. Given high rates of cigarette smoking among MA users, it was of interest also to assess and compare demand for MA relative to cigarettes. Participants consisted of non-treatment-seeking volunteers with MA use disorder (N = 18), of whom 17 reported daily smoking. Results showed the exponentiated demand model provided a good fit to consumption data. Results from Bayesian generalized linear modeling demonstrated multiple positive relationships (posterior probability ≥75%) between self-reported drug use (days MA used in the past 30 days, cigarettes smoked per day) and indices of demand for each drug (Qo, Omax, Pmax, and break point). Comparing MA to cigarettes, results from Bayesian generalized linear mixed modeling revealed greater abuse liability for MA compared to cigarettes (posterior probability ≥99%) based on α and essential value. Overall, the findings of the current study support the feasibility and validity of the exponentiated demand model for assessing demand for drugs among individuals with MA use disorder. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Kaplan BA, Koffarnus MN, Franck CT, Bickel WK. Effects of Reduced-Nicotine Cigarettes Across Regulatory Environments in the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace: A Randomized Trial. Nicotine Tob Res 2021; 23:1123-1132. [PMID: 33165612 PMCID: PMC8186426 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaa226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Recent efforts have explored the potential health and policy benefits of reducing nicotine, an addictive component, in combustible cigarettes. To date, an experimental, prospective analysis directly comparing the effects of varying regulatory environments on purchases of multiple products has yet to be conducted. The present study compared real purchasing of conventional cigarettes, reduced-nicotine cigarettes, and a variety of other nicotine and tobacco products across a range of regulatory environments. METHODS Participants were assigned to one of five groups, each associated with a different nicotine level (mg of nicotine to g of tobacco) in SPECTRUM investigational cigarettes (15.8, 5.2, 2.4, 1.3, and 0.4 mg/g). Across sessions, participants made real purchases for nicotine/tobacco products in an Experimental Tobacco Marketplace. Each session corresponded with a distinct regulatory environment wherein different nicotine/tobacco products were available for purchase. RESULTS Our results suggest that the primary drivers of cigarette and nicotine purchasing are regulatory environment and the presence/absence of alternative nicotine and tobacco products. Perhaps surprisingly, nicotine level does not appear to be such a driver of purchasing behavior under these experimental conditions. Investigational cigarette purchasing is lowest when other preferred combustible products are available and highest when investigational cigarettes are the only combustible product available for purchase. CONCLUSIONS If a reduced-nicotine policy is implemented, great care should be taken in determining and making available less-harmful nicotine/tobacco products as the availability of preferred combustible products may result in undesirable levels of purchasing. IMPLICATIONS This is the first experimental study investigating different potential regulatory effects related to a reduced-nicotine policy by examining purchasing across a range of nicotine/tobacco products. Our results suggest the presence of affordable, highly preferred combustible products is likely to maintain tobacco purchasing at undesirable levels. To promote switching to less-harmful products, affordable alternate nicotine and tobacco products should be readily available. Finally, our results suggest that the availability of noncigarette products, not cigarette nicotine level, will most likely affect purchasing of reduced-nicotine cigarettes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent A Kaplan
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY
| | - Mikhail N Koffarnus
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY
| | | | - Warren K Bickel
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, VA
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
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Aston ER, Smith JE, DiBello AM, Farris SG. Effects of acute distress and tobacco cues on tobacco demand. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 221:108522. [PMID: 33582490 PMCID: PMC8026530 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cigarette demand, or relative value, can be assessed via analysis of performance on a hypothetical behavioral economic cigarette purchase task (CPT). Substance purchase tasks are highly amenable to manipulation, namely, external stimuli, instructional changes, or acute stressors. In this regard, the current secondary analysis evaluates the role a novel, computerized stress induction paradigm, the Contextual-Frustration Intolerance Typing Task (C-FiTT), plays in eliciting varying levels of stress and resulting demand. METHOD Daily smokers (n = 484) completed the C-FiTT wherein they were randomly assigned to one of five distress conditions: combination of task difficulty (low or high difficulty) with neutral or withdrawal cues, and a neutral control group. Tobacco demand was assessed immediately following the distress task using the hypothetical CPT. RESULTS The C-FiTT distress-induction task significantly increased key cigarette demand indices, including price at maximum expenditure (Pmax) and first price where consumption was suppressed to zero (breakpoint). Moreover, demand increased with severity of C-FiTT condition, with the high-difficulty condition resulting in significantly higher breakpoint and Pmax, compared to other conditions. C-FiTT condition was not related to a significant increase in Omax, intensity, or elasticity. DISCUSSION The novel C-FiTT paradigm produced comparable effects on tobacco demand relative to in vivo withdrawal induction, indicating that the C-FiTT is a viable procedure by which to influence demand. Reduction of internal and external stressors may be effective in lowering motivation for tobacco. These results highlight the importance of state distress in tobacco demand, and offer a potential avenue for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Aston
- Brown University School of Public Health, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Providence, RI USA.
| | - Jacqueline E Smith
- Brown University School of Public Health, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Providence, RI USA
| | - Angelo M DiBello
- Brown University School of Public Health, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Providence, RI USA; City University of New York (CUNY), Brooklyn College, Brooklyn, NY USA
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Strickland JC, Reed DD, Hursh SR, Schwartz LP, Foster RN, Gelino BW, LeComte RS, Oda FS, Salzer AR, Schneider TD, Dayton L, Latkin C, Johnson MW. Integrating Operant and Cognitive Behavioral Economics to Inform Infectious Disease Response: Prevention, Testing, and Vaccination in the COVID-19 Pandemic. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2021:2021.01.20.21250195. [PMID: 33532802 PMCID: PMC7852253 DOI: 10.1101/2021.01.20.21250195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The role of human behavior to thwart transmission of infectious diseases like COVID-19 is evident. Yet, many areas of psychological and behavioral science are limited in the ability to mobilize to address exponential spread or provide easily translatable findings for policymakers. Here we describe how integrating methods from operant and cognitive approaches to behavioral economics can provide robust policy relevant data. Adapting well validated methods from behavioral economic discounting and demand frameworks, we evaluate in four crowdsourced samples (total N = 1,366) behavioral mechanisms underlying engagement in preventive health behaviors. We find that people are more likely to social distance when specified activities are framed as high risk, that describing delay until testing (rather than delay until results) increases testing likelihood, and that framing vaccine safety in a positive valence improves vaccine acceptance. These findings collectively emphasize the flexibility of methods from diverse areas of behavioral science for informing public health crisis management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C. Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, US
| | - Derek D. Reed
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
- Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Steven R. Hursh
- Applied Behavioral Biology Unit, Institutes for Behavior Resources, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Lindsay P. Schwartz
- Applied Behavioral Biology Unit, Institutes for Behavior Resources, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Rachel N.S. Foster
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Brett W. Gelino
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Robert S. LeComte
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Fernanda S. Oda
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Allyson R. Salzer
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Tadd D. Schneider
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Lauren Dayton
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, US
| | - Carl Latkin
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, US
| | - Matthew W. Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, US
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Borodovsky JT, Sofis MJ, Grucza RA, Budney AJ. The importance of psychology for shaping legal cannabis regulation. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2021; 29:99-115. [PMID: 32437193 PMCID: PMC7679279 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Different patterns of cannabis use can be traced directly back to different interactions between 2 types of variables: pharmacological and environmental. As legal cannabis expands in the U.S. and around the world, state and national regulatory agencies are gaining control over these variables. Specifically, regulatory agencies are increasingly capable of altering (a) the pharmacological properties of cannabis products and (b) the way these products are distributed to the population. Consequently, cannabis regulatory agencies are in a unique position to use evidence from psychological science to alter cannabis consumption patterns in ways that mitigate potential harm to public health. However, most state-level legal cannabis regulatory systems in the U.S. are not yet evidence-based or public health-oriented. This applied review and commentary draws on evidence from the psychological science literature to help regulators better understand the types of behaviors they must address and guide empirically supported regulation of THC-laden cannabis, whether used putatively for medical or recreational reasons. This review is organized into 3 parts that correspond to the 3 primary agents within the cannabis regulation ecosystem: (a) the cannabis consumer, (b) the cannabis industry, and (c) the cannabis regulatory agency. Within this structure, the review addresses critical psychological variables that drive cannabis consumer and industry behaviors and discusses how regulatory agencies can use this information to protect public health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob T Borodovsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - Michael J Sofis
- Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine
| | - Richard A Grucza
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
| | - Alan J Budney
- Center for Technology and Behavioral Health, Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine
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Denlinger-Apte RL, Cassidy RN, Carey KB, Kahler CW, Bickel WK, O'Connor R, Thussu S, Tidey JW. The impact of menthol flavoring in combusted tobacco on alternative product purchasing: A pilot study using the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 218:108390. [PMID: 33213974 PMCID: PMC7750267 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Menthol cigarette smokers may switch to other combusted products like menthol little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs) or switch to non-combusted products like menthol vapes if menthol cigarettes are banned or otherwise restricted. This pilot study used a behavioral economics task to understand (a) menthol cigarette demand across a range of increasing prices in the context of available alternative products and (b) how the availability of menthol LCCs affected cigarette demand and alternative product substitution. METHODS Menthol smokers completed the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace task during two sessions. Cigarettes, LCCs, smokeless tobacco, vapes, and medicinal nicotine were available from an online store. The price of menthol cigarettes increased across trials while the prices of the alternative products remained constant. Menthol LCCs were available in one session and excluded in the other. Cross-price elasticity beta estimates identified significant product substitutes. RESULTS When menthol LCCs were available, increasing the price of menthol cigarettes led to substitution with non-menthol cigarettes (β = 0.65, 95%CI = 0.34, 0.96), menthol little cigars (β = 0.39, 95%CI = 0.08, 0.70), and menthol vapes (β = 0.26, 95%CI = 0.16, 0.35). When menthol LCCs were not available, increasing the price of menthol cigarettes led to substitution with non-menthol cigarettes (β = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.08, 1.11), non-menthol cigarillos (β = 0.62, 95%CI = 0.19, 1.04), and menthol vapes (β = 0.13, 95%CI = 0.08, 0.18). CONCLUSIONS As the price of menthol cigarettes increased, demand for menthol cigarettes decreased and demand for combusted and non-combusted products increased, indicating significant substitution for menthol cigarettes. Policies targeting menthol combusted tobacco could result in some menthol smokers switching to non-combusted products like vaping devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Denlinger-Apte
- Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA.
| | - Rachel N Cassidy
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| | - Kate B Carey
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| | - Christopher W Kahler
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| | - Warren K Bickel
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Virginia Tech, Roanoke, VA, 24016, USA.
| | - Richard O'Connor
- Department of Health Behavior, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, 14263, USA. Richard.O'
| | - Shreeya Thussu
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Jennifer W Tidey
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
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30
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Reed DD, Naudé GP, Salzer AR, Peper M, Monroe-Gulick AL, Gelino BW, Harsin JD, Foster RNS, Nighbor TD, Kaplan BA, Koffarnus MN, Higgins ST. Behavioral economic measurement of cigarette demand: A descriptive review of published approaches to the cigarette purchase task. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2020; 28:688-705. [PMID: 31961164 PMCID: PMC8428680 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The cigarette purchase task (CPT) is a behavioral economic method for assessing demand for cigarettes. Growing interest in behavioral correlates of tobacco use in clinical and general populations as well as empirical efforts to inform policy has seen an increase in published articles employing the CPT. Accordingly, an examination of the published methods and procedures for obtaining these behavioral economic metrics is timely. The purpose of this investigation was to provide a review of published approaches to using the CPT. We searched specific Boolean operators (["behavioral economic" AND "purchase task"] OR ["demand" AND "cigarette"]) and identified 49 empirical articles published through the year 2018 that reported administering a CPT. Articles were coded for participant characteristics (e.g., sample size, population type, age), CPT task structure (e.g., price framing, number and sequence of prices; vignettes, contextual factors), and data analytic approach (e.g., method of generating indices of cigarette demand). Results of this review indicate no standard approach to administering the CPT and underscore the need for replicability of these behavioral economic measures for the purpose of guiding clinical and policy decisions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek D. Reed
- University of Kansas and Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Gideon P. Naudé
- University of Kansas and Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Allyson R. Salzer
- University of Kansas and Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, Lawrence, Kansas
| | | | | | - Brett W. Gelino
- University of Kansas and Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Joshua D. Harsin
- University of Kansas and Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Rachel N. S. Foster
- University of Kansas and Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, Lawrence, Kansas
| | - Tyler D. Nighbor
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Burlington, Vermont, and University of Vermont
| | | | | | - Stephen T. Higgins
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Burlington, Vermont, and University of Vermont
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31
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Stancato SS, Schneider TD, Reed DD, Lemley SM, Carrillo A, Jarmolowicz DP. Reinforcer pathology II: Reward magnitude, reward delay, and demand for alcohol collectively relate to college students' alcohol related problems. J Exp Anal Behav 2020; 114:354-367. [PMID: 33184869 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The reinforcer pathologies model of addiction posits that two characteristic patterns of operant behavior characterize addiction. Specifically, individuals suffering from addiction have elevated levels of behavioral economic demand for their substances of abuse and have an elevated tendency to devalue delayed rewards (reflected in high delay discounting rates). Prior research has demonstrated that these behavioral economic markers are significant predictors of many of college students' alcohol-related problems. Delay discounting, however, is a complex behavioral performance likely undergirded by multiple behavioral processes. Emerging analytical approaches have isolated the role of participants' sensitivity to changes in reinforcer magnitude and changes in reinforcer delay. The current study uses these analytic approaches to compare participants' discounting of money versus alcohol, and to build regression models that leverage these new insights to predict a wider range of college students' alcohol related problems. Using these techniques, we were able to 1) demonstrate that individuals differed in their sensitivity to magnitudes of alcohol versus money, but not sensitivity to delays to those commodities and 2) that we could use our behavioral economic measures to predict a range of students' alcohol related problems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Derek D Reed
- University of Kansas.,Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment
| | | | | | - David P Jarmolowicz
- University of Kansas.,Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment
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Nighbor TD, Barrows AJ, Bunn JY, DeSarno MJ, Oliver AC, Coleman SRM, Davis DR, Streck JM, Reed EN, Reed DD, Higgins ST. Comparing participant estimated demand intensity on the cigarette Purchase Task to consumption when usual-brand cigarettes were provided free. Prev Med 2020; 140:106221. [PMID: 32717262 PMCID: PMC7680356 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that the hypothetical Cigarette Purchase Task (CPT), especially its demand Intensity index (i.e., estimated cigarettes participants would smoke if free), is associated with individual differences in smoking risk. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the extent to which hypothetical CPT demand Intensity may differ from consumption when participants are provided with free cigarettes. That topic is the overarching focus of the present study. Participants were 745 adult smokers with co-morbid psychiatric conditions or socioeconomic disadvantage. CPT was administered for usual-brand cigarettes prior to providing participants with seven days of their usual-brand cigarettes free of cost and consumption was recorded daily via an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System. Demand Intensity was correlated with IVR smoking rate (rs 0.670-0.696, ps < 0.001) but estimates consistently exceeded IVR smoking rates by an average of 4.4 cigarettes per day (ps < 0.001). Importantly, both measures were comparably sensitive to discerning well-established differences in smoking risk, including greater cigarettes per day among men versus women (F(1,732) = 18.74, p < 0.001), those with versus without opioid-dependence (F(1,732) = 168.37, p < 0.001), younger versus older adults (F(2,730) = 32.93, p < 0.001), and those with lower versus greater educational attainment (F(1,732) = 38.26, p < 0.001). Overall, CPT demand Intensity appears to overestimate consumption rates relative to those observed when participants are provided with free cigarettes, but those deviations are systematic (i.e., consistent in magnitude and direction, Fs all <1.63; ps > 0.19 for all interactions with subgroups). This suggests that demand Intensity was sensitive to established group differences in smoking rate, supporting its utility as an important measure of addiction potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler D Nighbor
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, United States of America
| | - Anthony J Barrows
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, United States of America
| | - Janice Y Bunn
- Department of Medical Biostatistics, University of Vermont, United States of America
| | - Michael J DeSarno
- Department of Medical Biostatistics, University of Vermont, United States of America
| | - Anthony C Oliver
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, United States of America
| | - Sulamunn R M Coleman
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, United States of America
| | - Danielle R Davis
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, United States of America
| | - Joanna M Streck
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, United States of America
| | - Ellaina N Reed
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, United States of America
| | - Derek D Reed
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, United States of America
| | - Stephen T Higgins
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, United States of America; Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, United States of America.
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Strickland JC, Lacy RT. Behavioral economic demand as a unifying language for addiction science: Promoting collaboration and integration of animal and human models. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2020; 28:404-416. [PMID: 32105136 PMCID: PMC7390687 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The intersection of pharmacological, psychological, and economic theory within behavioral economics has helped advance an understanding of substance use disorder. A notable contribution of this approach is the conceptualization of reinforcement from a behavioral economic demand perspective. Demand analyses provide a multidimensional view of reinforcement in which distinct behavioral mechanisms are measured that impact decision making and drug consumption. This review describes the state of research on behavioral economic demand as a common language for addiction science researchers across varied model systems and stages of a translational continuum. We first provide an overview of the theoretical concepts and procedures used to evaluate demand in animal and human models. The potential for demand to serve as a common language for diverse research groups in psychopharmacology and addiction science (e.g., those evaluating neurobehavioral outcomes, medications development, clinical practice) is then described. An overview is also provided of existing empirical studies that, while small in number, suggest good linguistic and conceptual overlap between animal and human demand models when studying biological, environmental, and pharmacological individual difference vulnerabilities underlying drug-taking behavior. Refinement of methodological procedures and incorporation of more nuanced environmental features should help improve correspondence between animal and human demand studies as well as clinical translation of such findings. Our hope is that this review and commentary ultimately serves as inspiration for new collaborative efforts involving behavioral economic demand between animal and human researchers who share a common goal of improving substance use treatment outcomes and broader psychological wellbeing. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Acuff SF, Amlung M, Dennhardt AA, MacKillop J, Murphy JG. Experimental manipulations of behavioral economic demand for addictive commodities: a meta-analysis. Addiction 2020; 115:817-831. [PMID: 31656048 PMCID: PMC7156308 DOI: 10.1111/add.14865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Reinforcing value, an index of motivation for a drug, is commonly measured using behavioral economic purchase tasks. State-oriented purchase tasks are sensitive to phasic manipulations, but with heterogeneous methods and findings. The aim of this meta-analysis was to characterize the literature examining manipulations of reinforcing value, as measured by purchase tasks and multiple-choice procedures, to inform etiological models and treatment approaches METHODS: A random-effects meta-analysis of published findings in peer-reviewed articles. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol, studies were gathered through searches in PsycINFO and PubMed/MEDLINE (published 22 May 2018). Searches returned 34 unique studies (aggregate sample n = 2402; average sample size = 68.94) yielding 126 effect sizes. Measurements included change (i.e. Cohen's d) in six behavioral economic indices (intensity, breakpoint, Omax , Pmax , elasticity, cross-over point) in relation to six experimental manipulations (cue exposure, stress/negative affect, reinforcer magnitude, pharmacotherapy, behavioral interventions, opportunity cost). RESULTS Cue exposure (d range = 0.25-0.44, all Ps < 0.05) and reinforcer magnitude [d = 0.60; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.18, 1.01; P < 0.005] manipulations resulted in significant increases in behavioral economic demand across studies. Stress/negative affect manipulations also resulted in a small, significant increase in Omax (d = 0.18; 95% CI = 0.01, 0.34; P = 0.03); all other effect sizes for negative affect/stress were non-significant, albeit similar in size (d range = 0.14-0.18). In contrast, pharmacotherapy (d range = -0.37 to -0.49; Ps < 0.04), behavioral intervention (d = -0.36 to -1.13) and external contingency (d = -1.42; CI = -2.30, -0.54; P = 0.002) manipulations resulted in a significant decrease in intensity. Moderators (substance type) explained some of the heterogeneity in findings across meta-analyses. CONCLUSIONS In behavioral economic studies, purchase tasks and multiple-choice procedures appear to provide indices that are sensitive to manipulations found to influence motivation to consume addictive substances in field experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel F. Acuff
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Michael Amlung
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University/St Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University/St Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - James G. Murphy
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
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Cassidy RN, Aston ER, Tidey JW, Colby SM. Behavioral economic demand and delay discounting are differentially associated with cigarette dependence and use in adolescents. Addict Behav 2020; 103:106225. [PMID: 31838441 PMCID: PMC6938733 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Reinforcer Pathology Model describes how two behavioral economic processes, increased sensitivity to immediate rewards (delay discounting) and excessive reward derived from a substance (demand), both contribute to problematic patterns of substance use. In a novel application of this model, the current cross-sectional study examined how these distinct processes relate to different facets of cigarette use in adolescents. METHODS Adolescent daily cigarette smokers ages 15 to 19 (Mean age 17.7, N = 50) completed a laboratory assessment of demand using a Cigarette Purchase Task for their usual brand cigarettes and an adjusting-amount delay discounting task. Demand was conceptualized as two factors (Amplitude and Persistence) and delay discounting was calculated as Area Under the Curve (log AUC). The two factors of demand and discounting AUC were included as statistical predictors of level of cigarette dependence and average number of cigarettes smoked per day in linear regression models. RESULTS Amplitude of demand was marginally significant predictor (p = .06) of cigarettes smoked per day whereas neither Persistence of demand nor delay discounting significantly predicted this outcome. Both Amplitude of demand and delay discounting, but not Persistence, were associated with level of cigarette dependence. The effects of amplitude of demand and delay discounting on cigarette dependence or use did not significantly interact. CONCLUSIONS Results of this study suggest that amplitude of cigarette demand may be a risk factor for both cigarette consumption and dependence, while discounting - a known risk factor for cigarette initiation - may relate specifically to level of dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel N Cassidy
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, United States.
| | - Elizabeth R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, United States
| | - Jennifer W Tidey
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, United States
| | - Suzanne M Colby
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, United States
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García-Pérez Á, Weidberg S, González-Roz A, Krotter A, Secades-Villa R. Effects of combined coffee and alcohol use over cigarette demand among treatment-seeking smokers. Behav Processes 2020; 174:104108. [PMID: 32198089 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study is aimed at comparing the relative reinforcing efficacy (RRE) of nicotine though CPT performance in function of alcohol and coffee consumption of treatment-seeking smokers. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 88 treatment-seeking smokers (60.2 % female) completed the CPT. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to compare alcohol (consumers and abstainers of alcohol) and coffee intake (high coffee consumers and low coffee consumers) on CPT indices. RESULTS Univariate effects of coffee × alcohol use interaction were significant for elasticity [F (1, 83) = 4.9435, p = .038, η2 = .051] and intensity [F (1, 83) = 6.972, p = .01, η2 = .077]. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol and coffee use is associated with an elevated cigarette demand among treatment-seeking smokers. This finding suggests the need for specific interventions to reduce alcohol and coffee use in order to increase the effectiveness of treatments for smoking cessation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel García-Pérez
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Sara Weidberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Alba González-Roz
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Andrea Krotter
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Roberto Secades-Villa
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n, 33003, Oviedo, Spain
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An improved demand curve for analysis of food or drug consumption in behavioral experiments. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:943-955. [PMID: 32170328 PMCID: PMC7113227 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05491-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The incorporation of microeconomics concepts into studies using self-administration procedures has provided critical insights into the factors that influence consumption of a wide range of food and drug reinforcers. In particular, the fitting of demand curves to consumption data provides a powerful analytic tool for computing objective metrics of behavior that can be compared across a wide range of reward types in both human and animal experiments. The results of these analyses depend crucially on the mathematical form used to fit the data. The most common choice is an exponential form proposed by Hursh and Silberberg, which is widely used and has provided fundamental insights into relationships between cost and consumption, but it also has some disadvantages. In this paper, we first briefly review the use of demand curves to quantify the motivating effects of food and drugs, then we describe the current methodology and highlight some potential issues that arise in its application. To address these issues, we propose a new mathematical framework for the analysis of consumption data, including a new functional form for the demand curve. We show that this proposed form gives good fits to data for a range of different reinforcers and experimental protocols, while allowing for straightforward calculation of key metrics of demand, including preferred consumption level, maximum response, price at maximum response, and price elasticity of demand. We provide software implementing our entire analysis pipeline, including data fits, data visualization, and the calculation of demand metrics.
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Aston ER, Meshesha LZ. Assessing Cannabis Demand: A Comprehensive Review of the Marijuana Purchase Task. Neurotherapeutics 2020; 17:87-99. [PMID: 31916237 PMCID: PMC7007495 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-019-00819-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The marijuana purchase task (MPT) is a behavioral economic measure of individualized cannabis value (i.e., demand). The MPT follows purchase tasks for other substances (e.g., alcohol, tobacco), though presents with unique caveats due to its mixed illicit status, non-uniform units of purchase and use, and substantial within substance variability in strain, potency, and quality. As the regulatory climate surrounding purchase and use of cannabis continues to evolve in the USA and globally, rigorous assessment of cannabis use and value are of the utmost importance. This study represents the first comprehensive review of investigations utilizing the MPT. Searches through PubMed and Web of Science databases by two independent coders identified 15 empirical articles referencing the use of an MPT and were published through the year 2019. Articles were coded for demographic and procedural characteristics, structural characteristics of the MPT itself, data analytic characteristics, and relationships with cannabis-related outcomes. Rigorous assessment of demand for cannabis is essential with respect to the broad public health issues surrounding cannabis legalization. We have synthesized the research presented herein and comment on vital considerations for subsequent MPT work, including recommendations for a unified approach to using the MPT in subsequent research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Heath, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| | - Lidia Z Meshesha
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
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González-Roz A, Jackson J, Murphy C, Rohsenow DJ, MacKillop J. Behavioral economic tobacco demand in relation to cigarette consumption and nicotine dependence: a meta-analysis of cross-sectional relationships. Addiction 2019; 114:1926-1940. [PMID: 31313403 PMCID: PMC7837316 DOI: 10.1111/add.14736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS A cigarette purchase task (CPT) aims to characterize individual variation in the reinforcing value of tobacco. This meta-analysis estimated the associations between cigarette demand, tobacco consumption and nicotine dependence using this task. DESIGN A meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies identified by PubMed and PsycINFO databases was conducted. Fixed- and random-effects models were used. The study also examined the model used to derive elasticity of demand (exponential or exponentiated) as a potential moderator. Publication bias was assessed using 'fail-safe N', Begg-Mazumdar test, Egger's test, Tweedie's trim-and-fill approach and meta-regression of publication year with effect size. SETTING Studies from any setting that reported coefficient correlations on the tested associations. PARTICIPANTS Daily cigarette users (i.e. 5 to 38 cigarettes per day; n = 7649). MEASUREMENTS Cigarette consumption, nicotine dependence and five tobacco demand indicators: intensity (i.e. consumption at no cost), elasticity (i.e. sensitivity to rises in costs), Omax (maximum expenditure), Pmax (i.e. price at which consumption becomes elastic) and breakpoint (i.e. price at which consumption ceases). FINDINGS Twenty-three studies met inclusion criteria. All the CPT indices were significantly correlated with smoking behavior (rs = 0.044-0.572, Ps = 0.012-10-8 ). Medium-to-large effect size associations were present for intensity, Omax, and elasticity, whereas small effects were obtained for breakpoint and Pmax . Evidence of a moderating effect of the different elasticity modeling approaches was not present. There was limited evidence of publication bias. CONCLUSIONS All five demand indices derived from the cigarette purchase task by (CPT) were robustly associated with cigarette consumption and tobacco dependence. Of the demand indices, maximum expenditure, intensity and elasticity exhibited the largest magnitude associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba González-Roz
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University & St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
| | - Jacob Jackson
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University & St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
| | - Cara Murphy
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University
| | | | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University & St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University
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Cassidy RN, Bernstein MH, Magill M, MacKillop J, Murphy JG, Colby SM. Alcohol demand moderates brief motivational intervention outcomes in underage young adult drinkers. Addict Behav 2019; 98:106044. [PMID: 31330464 PMCID: PMC6708778 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Alcohol Purchase Task (APT), a behavioral economic measure of alcohol's reinforcing value (demand), has been used to predict the effects of Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI) on alcohol use outcomes. However, it is not known whether BMI may be more or less efficacious, relative to control, among those with different levels of alcohol demand prior to treatment. METHODS Non college-attending young adults (N = 150) reporting past-month heavy drinking were randomized to a single in-person session of BMI or a relaxation training control (REL). The BMI included delivery of personalized feedback and focused on developing discrepancy between the young adults' goals and their current pattern of alcohol use. At baseline, participants completed assessments of alcohol use and the APT. Drinking levels were re-assessed at 6 weeks and 3 months post-intervention. Demand indices derived from the APT were examined as moderators of treatment effects on follow-up drinking after covarying for baseline alcohol use. RESULTS Two of four APT demand indices - intensity and Omax - moderated treatment outcomes. Relative to REL, BMI led to greater reductions in total number of drinks consumed and drinks per drinking day among participants with higher baseline alcohol demand. This association was not observed among participants with lower levels of alcohol demand. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate that BMI may be particularly beneficial for those with a high reinforcing value of alcohol. The mechanism for this effect is unclear, and determining the process by which BMI confers increased benefit for these individuals is a fruitful area for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel N Cassidy
- Center for Alcohol & Addiction Studies, Brown University, United States.
| | | | - Molly Magill
- Center for Alcohol & Addiction Studies, Brown University, United States
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University & St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, United States
| | - James G Murphy
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, United States
| | - Suzanne M Colby
- Center for Alcohol & Addiction Studies, Brown University, United States
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Salzer AR, Gelino BW, Reed DD. Left-digit pricing effects in a high-resolution examination of hypothetical operant demand for alcohol. Behav Processes 2019; 165:51-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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