This paper examines factors that influence the veracity of verbal self-report data in health services research, using a cognitive social-psychological model of the data-gathering process as an organizing framework. It begins by briefly summarizing the consequences that can result from measurement error. Next, a cognitive social-psychological model of the question-answering process is presented. Common assumptions regarding the utility of specific assessment methods are evaluated with particular emphasis on the strengths and weaknesses of alternative data sources. The framework is then applied specifically to understanding the factors that may affect self-report measures in health services research relating to alcohol and other substance use. Overall, self-report procedures can provide useful estimates of consumption in clinical settings when conditions are designed to maximize response accuracy.

This paper examines factors that influence the veracity of verbal self‐report data in health services research, using a cognitive social‐psychological model of the data‐gathering process as an organizing framework. It begins by briefly summarizing the consequences that can result from measurement error. Next, a cognitive social‐psychological model of the question‐answering process is presented. Common assumptions regarding the utility of specific assessment methods are evaluated with particular emphasis on the strengths and weaknesses of alternative data sources. The framework is then applied specifically to understanding the factors that may affect self‐report measures in health services research relating to alcohol and other substance use. Overall, self‐report procedures can provide useful estimates of consumption in clinical settings when conditions are designed to maximize response accuracy.

Two key aspects of alcohol expectancy theory--(a) that memories about alcohol effects are stored as relatively cohesive templates of information and (b) that these templates are automatically activated in alcohol-related contexts--were tested using the Deese-Roediger- McDermott false memory paradigm. Alcohol expectancy adjectives were studied, and false memory for expectancy target words was tested in neutral and alcohol contexts. Results indicated that in the alcohol context heavier drinkers showed more false memory for alcohol expectancy words than they did in a neutral context. Differences were not found for lighter drinkers. These results were consistent with alcohol expectancy theory, which was then compared with various forms of association theory in explaining these results and larger issues in the addiction field.

This article presents the proceedings of a symposium at the 2001 RSA Meeting in Montreal, Canada organized by Reinout W. Wiers and Alan W. Stacy. The purpose of the symposium was to present recent applications of implicit cognitive processing theory to alcohol research. Basic cognitive research has demonstrated that implicit cognition influences memory and behavior without explicit recall or introspection. The presentations from this symposium show that implicit cognition approaches yield new insights into understanding drinking motivation. The presentations were: (1) An introduction by Alan W. Stacy; (2) Implicit cognition and alcohol use. Involvement of other variables? (Susan L. Ames); (3) Alcohol expectancies and the art of implicit priming (Jane A. Noll); (4) Parental alcoholism and the effects of alcohol on semantic priming (Michael A. Sayette); (5) Implicit arousal and explicit liking of alcohol in heavy drinkers (Reinout W. Wiers); and (6) Negative affective cues and associative cognition in problem drinkers (Martin Zack). Comments were provided by the discussant Marvin Krank. The presented studies demonstrated that: (1) implicit memories of alcohol associations are powerful predictors and cross-sectional correlates of alcohol use; (2) implicit retrieval processes influence alcohol outcome expectancies and alcohol consumption; (3) alcohol consumption influences implicit memory processing; (4) heavy drinkers reveal different affective responses in implicit and explicit tasks; and (5) negative affect exerts an implicit priming effect for alcohol associations in problem drinkers. These findings illustrate the importance of implicit cognition in understanding alcohol abuse and demonstrate the potential of the theoretical framework for more widespread application across a variety of areas of alcohol research, including diagnostics for the risk of alcohol abuse, treatment, and prevention.Key Words: Implicit Cognition, Implicit Association, Memory Association, Drinking Motivation, Implicit Priming, Alcohol, Expectancy. OVER THE PAST decades, implicit cognition has become an influential area in research in cognitive science. In alcohol research, the assessment of implicit cognitions began during the 1990s, with relatively few empirical applications. In basic research, implicit cognitions are contrasted with explicit cognitions such as deliberately recalled memories, beliefs, considerations, and other introspections. Implicit cognition influences one's memory and behavior without explicit recall or introspection. The presentations from this symposium show that implicit cognition approaches yield new insights in understanding drinking motivation. These data also show that, in at least in some instances, implicit and explicit processes can be differentiated. Because of its foundation in basic research, neurobiological plausibility, and growing empirical support in understanding alcohol abuse, implicit cognition is an important area for increased emphasis in alcohol research. Alan W. Stacy IMPLICIT COGNITION AND ALC...