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Objective Behavioral economic theory suggests that a reduction in substance use is most likely when there is an increase in rewarding substance-free activities. The goal of this randomized controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the incremental efficacy of a novel behavioral economic supplement (Substance-Free Activity Session, SFAS) to a standard alcohol brief motivational interviewing (BMI) session for heavy drinking college students. Method Participants were 82 first-year college students (50% female, 81.7% White/European American, Mean age = 18.5 years, SD = .71) who reported two or more past-month heavy drinking episodes. After completing a baseline assessment and an individual alcohol-focused BMI, participants were randomized to either the SFAS or to a Relaxation Training (RT) control session. The SFAS was delivered in an MI style and attempted to increase the salience of delayed academic and career rewards and the patterns of behavior leading to those rewards. Results The combination of an alcohol BMI plus the SFAS was associated with significantly greater reductions in alcohol problems compared to an alcohol BMI plus RT at the 1-month and 6-month follow-up assessments (p = .015, ηp2 = .07), an effect that was partially mediated by increases in protective behavioral strategies. BMI + SFAS was also associated with greater reductions in heavy drinking among participants who at baseline reported low levels of substance-free reinforcement or symptoms of depression. Conclusion These results are consistent with behavioral economic theory and suggest that a single session focused on increasing engagement in alternatives to drinking can enhance the effects of brief alcohol interventions.

The purpose of this study was to use confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to revise the factor structure of the CSAI-2 using one data set, and then to use CFA to validate the revised structure using a second data set. The first data set (calibration sample) consisted of 503 college-age intramural athletes, and the second (validation sample) consisted of 331 intercollegiate (Division I) and interscholastic athletes. The results of the initial CFA on the calibration sample resulted in a poor fit to the data. Using the Lagrange Multiplier Test (Gamma) as a guide, CSAI-2 items that loaded on more than one factor were sequentially deleted. The resulting 17-item revised CSAI-2 was then subjected to a CFA using the validation data sample. The results of this CFA revealed a good fit of the data to the model (CFI = .95, NNFI = .94, RMSEA = .054). It is suggested that the CSAI-2R instead of the CSAI-2 be used by researchers and practitioners for measuring competitive state anxiety in athletes.

Structural equation modeling (SEM) has become increasingly popular for analyzing data in the social sciences, although several broad reviews of psychology journals suggest that many SEM researchers engage in questionable practices when using the technique. The purpose of this study is to review and critique the use of SEM in counseling psychology research regarding several of these questionable practices. One hundred five studies from 99 separate articles published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology between 1987 and 2003 were reviewed. Results of the review indicate that many counseling psychology studies do not engage in various best practices recommended by SEM experts (e.g., testing multiple a priori theoretical models or reporting all parameter estimates or effect sizes). Results also indicate that SEM practices in counseling psychology seem to be improving in some areas, whereas in other areas no improvements were noted over time. Implications of these results are discussed, and suggestions for SEM use within counseling psychology are provided.