NCT04128761

Decreasing the Temporal Window in Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder

Reinforcer Pathology 1B: Decreasing the Temporal Window

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 124 (actual)
• Sponsor: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

In the absence of sufficient monetary resources, individuals must attend to immediate, minimum needs (e.g., food, shelter). This constricts one's temporal window and engenders neglect of the future. In observational studies, scarcity is associated with higher rates of delay discounting. Additionally, socioeconomic status is inversely associated with alcohol use disorder and related problems. Experimentally, scarcity shortens attention, impedes cognitive function, and increases delay discounting in multiple populations. Moreover, scarcity increases demand for fast foods in the obese and increases craving for alcohol in problem drinkers. These data suggest that economic scarcity worsens both components of reinforcer pathology (delay discounting and alcohol overvaluation), thus increasing vulnerability to alcohol use disorder. However, studies investigating the effects of scarcity on alcohol demand discounting rate have been limited. The purpose of Aim 1b is to examine effects of decreasing the temporal window and its concomitant effects on alcohol valuation (demand, and craving) and delay discounting.

Detailed description

Participants will be randomly assigned to experimental or control groups, balanced by discounting rates and sex. We plan to have 112 participants complete the study, based on our power analysis. Participants will complete two online sessions. During the first session, they will complete the baseline assessments. During the second session, they will complete the same assessments after being exposed to the scarcity or control narratives (both in audio format). The assessment will include delay discounting and demand tasks, and measures of alcohol craving. Participants will also complete assessments of their stress and mood response to the narrative intervention, using the Stress Appraisal Measure (SAM) for two purposes. That is, 1) to monitor participant safety, 2) to measure the mediating ability of affect on changes in the temporal window.

Conditions

• Alcohol Use Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Scarcity Narrative	Participants are presented with a hypothetical scarcity narrative and asked to listen and consider the scenario.
BEHAVIORAL	Neutral Narrative	Participants are presented with a hypothetical neutral narrative and asked to listen and consider the scenario.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-09-21
• Primary completion: 2024-05-28
• Completion: 2024-05-28
• First posted: 2019-10-16
• Last updated: 2025-12-17
• Results posted: 2025-12-17

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States