A randomized study of cellphone technology to reinforce alcohol abstinence in the natural environment

Alessi, Sheila M.; Petry, Nancy M.

doi:10.1111/add.12093

Cited by 112 publications

(151 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Contingency management, a technique in which a target behavior (here, abstinence) is reinforced with vouchers or the opportunity to win money prizes, is highly effective (e.g., Dutra et al 2008). Indeed, behavior analysis has techniques available to reduce harmful behaviors including substance abuse (Alessi and Petry 2013;Andrade et al 2012), medication noncompliance (e.g., Petry et al 2015), and self-injurious behavior (e.g., Hanley et al 1998). As part of our ethical underpinnings, behavior analysts require the use of effective interventions (cf.…”

Section: Behavior Analysis and Moralitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Bonobo and the Behaviorist: Frans de Waal’s Bottom-Up Morality

Diller

Boornazian

2015

BEHAV ANALYST

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This review considers Frans de Waal's The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search for Humanism Among the Primates (2013) from a behavior-analytic perspective. In his book, de Waal asserts evolution as the predominant level of selection for moral behavior, denies the possibility of a prescriptive science of morality, and misrepresents the science of behavior analysis. We expand upon de Waal's analysis and incorporate operant and cultural levels of selection of moral behavior. We also address the distinction between facts and values and describe behavior-analytic interpretations of belief. In addition, we briefly discuss the possibility of developing a behavior-analytic science of moral behavior.Keywords Altruism . Behaviorism . Morality . Pragmatism . ValuesIn The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates (de Waal 2013), primatologist Frans de Waal attempts to usurp religion as the prevailing source of moral behavior, and replace it with our evolutionary history as social animals. To support his thesis, de Waal offers evidence from our primate relative, the bonobo, who regularly demonstrates moral behavior in the absence of religion. Throughout the book, de Waal emphasizes our continuity with other species, insisting that we should approach morality from the Bbottom up^as a product of evolutionary history rather than something imposed by divine sources. In doing so, he suggests that, B[w]e started out with moral sentiments and intuitions…Rather than having developed morality from scratch through rational reflection, we received a huge push in the rear from our background as social animals^(p. 17). De Waal frequently relies on these Bsentiments and intuitions^as the anchors by which all moral principles are grounded, eventually concluding that B[m]oral law is not imposed from above or derived from well-reasoned BEHAV ANALYST (2015) 38:293-307

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Section: Behavior Analysis and Moralitymentioning

confidence: 99%

The Bonobo and the Behaviorist: Frans de Waal’s Bottom-Up Morality

Diller

Boornazian

2015

BEHAV ANALYST

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“…The cost of a cellular phone plan per month per phone for 200 minutes of talk, restricted to study numbers and unlimited texting, was $27. The relative affordability of cellular phone packages can reduce the financial and time constraints experienced by the participants and staff and will ultimately be cost-effective in the long term.Alessi & Petry [1] are the first to use cellular phone technology to deliver CM for alcohol abstinence, and their study may serve as a model for other researchers to combine rigorous methodology, theory and modern technology to narrow the research-to-practice gap. Future studies should assess whether CM procedures using cellular phones can yield outcomes greater the standard CM procedures, and whether it can be used to reach a variety of populations.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Alessi & Petry [1] are the first to use cellular phone technology to deliver CM for alcohol abstinence, and their study may serve as a model for other researchers to combine rigorous methodology, theory and modern technology to narrow the research-to-practice gap. Future studies should assess whether CM procedures using cellular phones can yield outcomes greater the standard CM procedures, and whether it can be used to reach a variety of populations.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Alessi & Petry [1] have developed a novel way of using portable technology such as cellular phones to test blood alcohol concentration. Importantly, this technique was used to monitor drinking at relevant contexts and times.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Commentary on Alessi & Petry (2013): Cellular phone technology and contingency management

Kong

2013

Addiction

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Alessi & Petry [1] examined if cellular phone technology could be used to provide contingency management (CM)-based reinforcement for alcohol abstinence by comparing two randomized conditions: (1) CM for submitting videorecorded alcohol breath tests (BrAC) via cellular phones regardless of the results and (2) the same condition plus escalating vouchers for negative alcohol breaths (n-BrAC). They found that the percentage of n-BrAC and the longest duration of consecutive n-BrAC were greater in the group that received CM for alcohol abstinence. The strength of this study is the innovative use of the popular and widely used cellular phone technology, which is costeffective and which enables the monitoring of drinking in a real-world setting while providing immediate reinforcement for alcohol abstinence. This innovative use of the cellular phone may facilitate the adoption of CM intervention in diverse clinical settings.CM is considered an effective treatment strategy for promoting abstinence from licit and illicit substance use [2,3]; however, the application of this intervention is impeded by several factors, thus raising the question of whether the intervention can be applied in the real world. A particular challenge in using CM to reduce alcohol use is the limited technology available to test for alcohol use. Current breath alcohol readings can only determine alcohol consumption 4-12 hours prior to testing [4], so they must be taken several times a day to detect use, thereby making the application of CM for alcohol abstinence in the out-patient setting almost impossible. This is concerning, given that alcohol is the most common substance for which patients seek substance abuse treatment [5].Clearly, an accessible, feasible and effective way to deliver CM to reinforce abstinence from alcohol is needed, and the use of cellular phone technology may be one way to accomplish this goal. Alessi & Petry [1] have developed a novel way of using portable technology such as cellular phones to test blood alcohol concentration. Importantly, this technique was used to monitor drinking at relevant contexts and times. Probes for alcohol tests were clustered during the weekends and weeknights, where drinking is most likely to occur. Such modification may make the use of technology to deliver CM more practical.CM has also been criticized for financial and administrative burdens. The CM participants in Alessi & Petry's [1] study earned, on average, $219 (Ϯ$106) in vouchers, which is comparable to the amount earned in previous CM trials for alcohol abstinence [6] and lower than the previous voucher CM system of approximately $1000 [7]. Using cellular phones to deliver CM may help to even further lower other related costs that are often not reported in published studies, such as the cost of space and personnel time needed to administer the daily CM procedures for the duration of 8-12 weeks. It is also less demanding on participants, because it reduces frequent travel required to the research facility to verify abstinence and receive ...

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Personalised digital interventions for reducing hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption in community-dwelling populations

Kaner

Beyer

Garnett

et al. 2017

Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

228

250

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There is moderate-quality evidence that digital interventions may lower alcohol consumption, with an average reduction of up to three (UK) standard drinks per week compared to control participants. Substantial heterogeneity and risk of performance and publication bias may mean the reduction was lower. Low-quality evidence from fewer studies suggested there may be little or no difference in impact on alcohol consumption between digital and face-to-face interventions.The BCTs of behaviour substitution, problem solving and credible source were associated with the effectiveness of digital interventions to reduce alcohol consumption and warrant further investigation in an experimental context.Reporting of theory use was very limited and often unclear when present. Over half of the interventions made no reference to any theories. Limited reporting of theory use was unrelated to heterogeneity in intervention effectiveness.

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A randomized study of cellphone technology to reinforce alcohol abstinence in the natural environment

Cited by 112 publications

References 26 publications

The Bonobo and the Behaviorist: Frans de Waal’s Bottom-Up Morality

The Bonobo and the Behaviorist: Frans de Waal’s Bottom-Up Morality

Commentary on Alessi & Petry (2013): Cellular phone technology and contingency management

Personalised digital interventions for reducing hazardous and harmful alcohol consumption in community-dwelling populations

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