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- Title
- DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A SINGLE-SESSION EXPECTANCY CHALLENGE INTERVENTION TO REDUCE ALCOHOL USE AMONG HEAVY DRINKING COLLEGE STUDENTS.
- Creator
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Lau, Hoyee, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
While overall rates of college student drinking have declined slightly since 1980, extreme forms of drinking are escalating. A comprehensive review of all aspects of alcohol use among college students completed by a panel of scientists and college presidents concluded that very few approaches for dealing with student drinking can be considered empirically validated, and they strongly encouraged additional efforts to develop and validate effective strategies. Expectancy challenge approaches...
Show moreWhile overall rates of college student drinking have declined slightly since 1980, extreme forms of drinking are escalating. A comprehensive review of all aspects of alcohol use among college students completed by a panel of scientists and college presidents concluded that very few approaches for dealing with student drinking can be considered empirically validated, and they strongly encouraged additional efforts to develop and validate effective strategies. Expectancy challenge approaches designed to reduce risky drinking through changing key expectancies have been identified as one of the few validated strategies, but this approach has not been developed into a format that is reliably effective with females or readily delivered in a single meeting. Widespread implementation of expectancy-based strategies is dependent on further evolution of a pragmatic format of this approach while maintaining effectiveness with groups that has already been established and increasing effectiveness with other groups. The purpose of the present study was to develop and evaluate a new version of expectancy challenge to accomplish two specific goals that are critical for widespread dissemination and implementation. First, new content focused on key expectancies typically held by heavy drinking females was developed in an effort to achieve significant reductions in alcohol use among women. Second, the content of the intervention for men and women was condensed to a single session. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the redesigned expectancy challenge in reducing drinking among high-risk individuals, the intervention was implemented with heavy drinking males and females at a large state university. Exposure to the single session expectancy challenge led to significant changes in alcohol expectancies and significant reductions in subsequent drinking in both males and females in comparison to participants randomly assigned to an active control condition or an assessment-only control condition. These findings represent a critical step in the process of translating a theory-based intervention strategy validated in intensive academic laboratory designs, into a more practical format while maintaining, and even enhancing effectiveness. The single session expectancy challenge developed and validated in this project is more accessible to those seeking effective drinking reduction strategies for college campuses and will encourage further development of pragmatic strategies based on expectancy theory.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001218, ucf:46940
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001218
- Title
- GAMMA HYDROXYBUTYRATE USE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS: APPLICATION OF A MEMORY MODEL TO EXPLORE THE INFLUENCE OF OUTCOME EXPECTANCIES.
- Creator
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Brown, Pamela, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) was banned from the consumer market by the Food and Drug Administration in 1991. Despite the ban, use of GHB has continued to contribute to thousands of emergency department visits and numerous fatalities in recent years. Efforts to reduce the use of this drug have had limited impact, which may be the result of using traditional prevention strategies that focus exclusively on educating people about of negative consequences of substance use rather than addressing...
Show moreGamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) was banned from the consumer market by the Food and Drug Administration in 1991. Despite the ban, use of GHB has continued to contribute to thousands of emergency department visits and numerous fatalities in recent years. Efforts to reduce the use of this drug have had limited impact, which may be the result of using traditional prevention strategies that focus exclusively on educating people about of negative consequences of substance use rather than addressing the factors that motivate use. In an effort to identify motivational factors that could be targeted in future prevention efforts, the present study was designed to examine outcome expectancies for GHB that may promote use of this drug. Methodology that has led to successful strategies to reduce alcohol use was applied to identify GHB expectancies and model cognitive processes likely to encourage or discourage GHB use. Individual differences scaling was used to empirically model a two dimensional semantic network of GHB expectancies stored in memory, and preference mapping was used to model likely paths of expectancy activation for male and female GHB users and nonusers. Differences in expectancies between GHB users and nonusers followed patterns previously identified in relation to alcohol expectancies and alcohol use. Conclusions were limited by relatively low numbers of GHB users in the sample, despite the use of a very large number of participants, overall. Despite this limitation these findings lay the groundwork for development and validation of GHB expectancy based prevention strategies.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002090, ucf:47538
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002090
- Title
- NON-ACUTE COGNITIVE SEQUELAE ASSOCIATED WITH RECREATIONAL ECSTASY USE: A META-ANALYSIS.
- Creator
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Linkovich Kyle, Tiffany, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Studies using animal models have found considerable evidence of neurological damage resulting from exposure to 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy). Yet, studies comparing the cognitive performance of human recreational ecstasy users to ecstasy naïve controls have produced inconsistent results. The present study is a meta-analysis of the published empirical literature on the cognitive sequelae of human recreational ecstasy use. The pooled effect size estimate for combined...
Show moreStudies using animal models have found considerable evidence of neurological damage resulting from exposure to 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy). Yet, studies comparing the cognitive performance of human recreational ecstasy users to ecstasy naïve controls have produced inconsistent results. The present study is a meta-analysis of the published empirical literature on the cognitive sequelae of human recreational ecstasy use. The pooled effect size estimate for combined cognitive domains was statistically significant and moderate in size. Small to large, statistically significant aggregate effect sizes resulted for eight of the nine cognitive ability domains included in the analysis. Moderator analyses suggested that frequent ecstasy use is associated with greater cognitive impairment, cognitive impairment can occur after relatively low amounts of total lifetime cumulative use, and recovery of functioning does not occur within one year post cessation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000701, ucf:46614
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000701
- Title
- EMPIRICAL MODELING OF A MARIJUANA EXPECTANCY MEMORY NETWORK IN CHILDREN AS A FUNCTION OF AGE AND MARIJUANA USE.
- Creator
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Alfonso, Jacqueline, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The present investigation modeled the expectancy memory organization and likely memory activation patterns of marijuana expectancies of children across age and marijuana use. The first phase of the study surveyed 142 children to obtain their first associate to marijuana use. From their responses, the Marijuana Expectancy Inventory for Children and Adolescents (MEICA) was developed. The second phase of the study administered the MEICA to a second sample of 392 children to model marijuana...
Show moreThe present investigation modeled the expectancy memory organization and likely memory activation patterns of marijuana expectancies of children across age and marijuana use. The first phase of the study surveyed 142 children to obtain their first associate to marijuana use. From their responses, the Marijuana Expectancy Inventory for Children and Adolescents (MEICA) was developed. The second phase of the study administered the MEICA to a second sample of 392 children to model marijuana expectancy organization and probable memory activation paths of marijuana users versus never-users. Results indicated that irrespective of age, adolescents who have used marijuana tend to emphasize positive-negative effects, whereas adolescents who have never used marijuana tend to emphasize psychological-physiological effects. Memory activation patterns also differed by marijuana use history such that users are more likely to begin their paths with short-term positive effects of marijuana, versus non-users who access long-term cognitive and physiological effects with more likelihood. This study is the first to examine specific marijuana outcome expectancies of children and adolescents as they relate to marijuana-using behavior. Implications for marijuana prevention and intervention programs, future research, and limitations of the current investigation are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2005
- Identifier
- CFE0000897, ucf:46629
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000897
- Title
- DECREASING ALCOHOL USE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BY CHALLENGING ALCOHOL EXPECTANCIES.
- Creator
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Cruz, Iris, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Altering alcohol expectancies has reduced alcohol use among college students and may lead to successful prevention of alcohol use among high school students. We randomly assigned 379 12th-grade students to an expectancy challenge, traditional alcohol information, or control condition, and used Individual Differences Scaling to map expectancies into memory network format with Preference Mapping to model likely paths of association. After expectancy and traditional alcohol interventions, higher...
Show moreAltering alcohol expectancies has reduced alcohol use among college students and may lead to successful prevention of alcohol use among high school students. We randomly assigned 379 12th-grade students to an expectancy challenge, traditional alcohol information, or control condition, and used Individual Differences Scaling to map expectancies into memory network format with Preference Mapping to model likely paths of association. After expectancy and traditional alcohol interventions, higher drinking male participants exhibited a greater likelihood to associate alcohol use with negative and sedating consequences and a decreased likelihood to associate alcohol with positive and arousing consequences. Drinking decreases paralleled the magnitude of changes in their likely path of expectancy activation. Children and adults who emphasize negative and sedating effects have been found to be less likely to use alcohol. Therefore, expectancy challenge interventions that have been successful at modifying expectancies and subsequently decreasing alcohol consumption among heavy drinking college students may be useful in the development of prevention curricula for high school students.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2006
- Identifier
- CFE0001232, ucf:46887
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001232
- Title
- IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION OF A CLASSROOM-BASED APPROACH TO EXPECTANCY CHALLENGE FOR REDUCING ALCOHOL USE AMONG FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS.
- Creator
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Sivasithamparam, Janani, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
There is a pervasive belief in the United States that the college experience typically includes frequent social activities characterized by widespread alcohol use. Unfortunately, awareness of the hundreds of deaths and wide variety of other harms experienced by college students as a result of alcohol use is much less pervasive. In an effort to increase awareness of the negative impact of alcohol use on college campuses, the NIAAA commissioned a panel composed of scientists and college...
Show moreThere is a pervasive belief in the United States that the college experience typically includes frequent social activities characterized by widespread alcohol use. Unfortunately, awareness of the hundreds of deaths and wide variety of other harms experienced by college students as a result of alcohol use is much less pervasive. In an effort to increase awareness of the negative impact of alcohol use on college campuses, the NIAAA commissioned a panel composed of scientists and college presidents to document alcohol-related harms and identify strategies that have been found to be effective in reducing risky alcohol use based on empirical evidence. The final report of this expert panel was released as a "Call to Action" for institutions nationwide in an effort to increase understanding of the severity and prevalence of risky alcohol use, and to provide descriptions of programs that were considered effective based on empirical evidence. Unfortunately, there were very few strategies found to be effective, and one of the effective approaches could only be implemented in specialized laboratories operated by scientists with expertise in expectancy challenge. Due to the severity and pervasiveness of the college alcohol problem and the limited number of strategies deemed effective, there is clearly a pressing need to develop and validate an expectancy challenge method that could be implemented by any institution without being limited by the need for a specialized laboratory and highly trained personnel. Achievement of these goals was the focus of the present project. To this end, an expectancy challenge curriculum designed for delivery in a college classroom was developed based on a laboratory delivered protocol previously found to be effective in reducing alcohol use among college students, and a classroom delivered curriculum previously found to be effective with high school students. The newly developed college classroom curriculum was implemented in a single session with groups of students during their regular class time in their usual classroom. Measures of alcohol use and associated harms were completed anonymously by each participant before completing the curriculum and for the month following completion of the curriculum. Analyses indicated significant reductions in alcohol consumption among males and females in comparison to students who were randomly assigned to a wait-list control condition. Unfortunately, significant reductions in alcohol-related harms were not found. The time periods for baseline and follow-up were only one month each, and that limitation in the number of opportunities to experience harms limits the likelihood of demonstrating a significant reduction in harms as well. Overall, this project represents an important advance in the development of alcohol use reduction strategies that are theory-based and effective in reducing alcohol use based on empirical evidence. In addition, the curriculum that was developed and validated in this project represents the first expectancy challenge method that can be readily implemented at any institution willing to devote one hour to reducing their students' risk for a long list of negative consequences associated with alcohol use on college campuses. Motivation and a typical classroom are all that is needed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002307, ucf:47854
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002307
- Title
- FEEDBACK-BASED ALCOHOL INTERVENTIONS FOR MANDATED STUDENTS: A COMPARISON OF INDIVIDUAL, GROUP, AND ELECTRONIC FORMATS.
- Creator
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Alfonso, Jacqueline, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
The present study examined the effectiveness of personalized alcohol feedback interventions in three different delivery formats on alcohol use and related negative consequences in a sample of mandated college students referred for alcohol-related violations. Participants were randomized to one of three conditions: an individually-delivered face-to-face intervention, a group-delivered face-to-face intervention, or a web-based electronically-delivered intervention. Given that the current study...
Show moreThe present study examined the effectiveness of personalized alcohol feedback interventions in three different delivery formats on alcohol use and related negative consequences in a sample of mandated college students referred for alcohol-related violations. Participants were randomized to one of three conditions: an individually-delivered face-to-face intervention, a group-delivered face-to-face intervention, or a web-based electronically-delivered intervention. Given that the current study sought to modify factors associated with alcohol use, analyses were conducted using only those participants who reported alcohol use at the baseline assessment. The final sample resulted in 173 participants, 18-years-of-age and over, and consisted of 57% males (n = 98) who ranged in age from 18 to 25 years, with a mean age of 18.77 (SD = 1.08). The sample distributions in the individual, group, and electronic conditions were 53 (35 males), 72 (41 males), and 48 (22 males), respectively. Self-reported participant race was 82% White, 9% "Other", 4% Black, 4% Asian, and 1% American Indian or Alaska Native, with 91% classifying their ethnicity as Non-Latino/a. Participant class standing consisted of 69% freshmen, 21% sophomores, 6% juniors, and 4% seniors. The type of housing participants reported living in was comprised of 51% on-campus residence hall, 24% off-campus without parents, 20% university-affiliated off-campus, 2% off-campus with parents, 2% "other" type of housing, and 1% who reported living in a fraternity/sorority house. Findings revealed statistically significant reductions in alcohol use for the individually-delivered intervention, and statistically significant reductions in alcohol-related harms for the individually- and electronically-delivered interventions. No statistically significant results were found for the group-delivered intervention. This study is the first randomized clinical trial to compare an empirically supported individually-delivered personalized alcohol feedback intervention with more cost-effective group- and electronically-delivered feedback formats within a single research design. This examination also sought to add to the extant literature on mandated college students by expanding the range of participant drinking habits reported at baseline to include all drinking levels (excluding those meeting criteria for alcohol dependence), not solely those classified as 'heavy drinking,' as is the typical research convention. Additionally, given the potential demand characteristics to underreport illegal and/or illicit behaviors, this is the first study to provide mandated college students with anonymity pre- and post-intervention. Suggestions for future research, limitations of the current investigation, and implications for the development and improvement of personalized feedback interventions and of interventions aimed at mandated college students are also discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- CFE0002346, ucf:47823
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002346
- Title
- EVALUATION OF AN EXPECTANCY CHALLENGE PRESENTATION IN REDUCING HIGH-RISK ALCOHOL USE AMONG GREEK AFFILIATED COLLEGE STUDENTS.
- Creator
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Fried, Abigail, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Alcohol consumption and on college campuses has long been a significant problem. The severity of the situation and lack of effective alcohol programming on college campuses warranted the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to commission a Task Force on College Drinking in 2002, which has been vital in revealing drinking patterns and negative consequences which are specific to the college environment. The Task Force proposed three strategies that were empirically validated for...
Show moreAlcohol consumption and on college campuses has long been a significant problem. The severity of the situation and lack of effective alcohol programming on college campuses warranted the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism to commission a Task Force on College Drinking in 2002, which has been vital in revealing drinking patterns and negative consequences which are specific to the college environment. The Task Force proposed three strategies that were empirically validated for prevention and intervention in the college setting. Of the three recommendations, implementing cognitive behavioral skills training and offering motivational enhancement interventions, while proven effective are costly and time consuming to implement. The final strategy recommended, challenging alcohol expectancies, has been validated for use in a group setting making it a more viable option for reaching larger audiences. Within the college environment there are certain factors that have shown to be important in influencing college studentsÂÂ' drinking behaviors, attitudes toward drinking, and alcohol related negative consequences. Specifically, membership in a fraternity or sorority has revealed a unique predictor of risky drinking behavior and an increased risk of suffering from negative consequences related to alcohol. The purpose of the present study was to implement an expectancy-based presentation in Greek chapter houses to alter expectancies and decrease risky drinking behavior. Alcohol expectancies were measured before and immediately after the presentation. Alcohol consumption was also assessed in a self-report measure of drinking for the 30 days prior to the presentation as well as 30 days following it. Analyses revealed significant reductions in positive alcohol expectancies and alcohol consumption on measures of quantity (average drinks per sitting), frequency (average drinking days per week), and heavy episodic drinking (average weekly peak blood alcohol content). Therefore, the structure and effectiveness of the current intervention program proves extremely useful and practical for widespread implementation in Greek chapter houses across all college campuses.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003263, ucf:48528
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003263
- Title
- EVALUATION OF THE EXPECTANCY CHALLENGE ALCOHOL LITERACY CURRICULUM (ECALC) FOR REDUCING ALCOHOL USE AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
- Creator
-
Sivasithamparam, Janani, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Alcohol use is the single most alarming behavior among youth in the United States. Adolescents especially are at risk for increases in heavy episodic drinking and drunkenness leading to alcohol-related problems such as academic failure, interpersonal violence, risky sexual behavior and death. In an effort to address this endemic issue, a number of alcohol use prevention programs have been developed and are currently implemented in the high school setting. Many of these programs, however, lack...
Show moreAlcohol use is the single most alarming behavior among youth in the United States. Adolescents especially are at risk for increases in heavy episodic drinking and drunkenness leading to alcohol-related problems such as academic failure, interpersonal violence, risky sexual behavior and death. In an effort to address this endemic issue, a number of alcohol use prevention programs have been developed and are currently implemented in the high school setting. Many of these programs, however, lack an empirical basis and have been unable to demonstrate significant reductions in alcohol use over time. The need for the development and dissemination of effective strategies to address adolescent drinking is evident. Recommendations for newly developing approaches encourage an emphasis on empirically-based content and easily implemented protocols. Expectancy challenge-based interventions have been identified by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism as having strong evidence supporting their effectiveness in reducing alcohol use among college students. Recent efforts to translate such programs into forms effective with high school adolescents have been met with mixed results. The focus of the present study was to modify, implement and evaluate the Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC), a program currently validated for use with college populations, for high school adolescents. The single session, high school version of the ECALC was infused into the existing Health Education high school curriculum and implemented with those in the 9th through 12th grades. Measures of alcohol expectancies and alcohol use were completed anonymously by each participant before delivery of the program and for 30 days thereafter. Impact of the ECALC was compared to classes randomly assigned to an attention-matched control condition. Findings revealed significant changes in alcohol expectancies and alcohol use reported by participants in the 11th and 12th grades following delivery of the ECALC. Changes were found across factor analytic and multidimensional scaling (MDS) statistical methods applied to the expectancy measure, as well as across measures of estimated intoxication and drinking quantity/frequency. Findings were consistent among both male and female participants. Reductions in alcohol use were not found among 9th and 10th grade participants, and expectancy changes were inconsistent. The assessment periods for baseline and follow-up were thirty days, which may reflect a limitation in that a longer follow-up may be more likely to capture significant behavioral changes over time. This study was the first to apply both factor analytic and MDS methods to analysis of the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol questionnaire, with clear implications for expectancy measurement techniques likely to be most appropriate for capturing changes in expectancy activation patterns over time. Overall, this study represents an important advance in the development of an empirically-based and validated alcohol use prevention program effective for use with adolescents. In addition, the ECALC serves as a prevention program that is easily implemented in the high school setting, requiring only 50 minutes of class time, a classroom, and a motivated educator.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- CFE0003617, ucf:48846
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003617
- Title
- INCREASING PARENTAL AWARENESS AND MONITORING: THE DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A WEB-BASED PROGRAM TO EMPOWER PARENTS TO REDUCE UNDERAGE ALCOHOL USE.
- Creator
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Brown, Pamela, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Parent attitudes about underage alcohol use and parent monitoring of the activities of their adolescent children have been found to be directly related to the likelihood of underage alcohol use. Unfortunately, there are relatively few programs or resources available to parents to assist them to reduce their childrenÂÂ's potential for early and problematic alcohol involvement. In an effort to address this need, the present project entailed the development and evaluation...
Show moreParent attitudes about underage alcohol use and parent monitoring of the activities of their adolescent children have been found to be directly related to the likelihood of underage alcohol use. Unfortunately, there are relatively few programs or resources available to parents to assist them to reduce their childrenÂÂ's potential for early and problematic alcohol involvement. In an effort to address this need, the present project entailed the development and evaluation of a web-based psychoeducational program entitled, Increasing Parental Awareness and Monitoring (iPAM). This online program begins to fill the gap in effective and convenient programming focused on development of parent skills and awareness. The content of the program is based on parenting factors that have been consistently found to correspond to underage alcohol use. The format includes engaging and interactive components that function to promote increased parent knowledge of the problem of underage drinking. In addition, the program is designed to alter permissive or ambivalent attitudes regarding underage alcohol use, and increase parental behaviors that have shown to be effective in reducing youth alcohol involvement. A randomized controlled trial was conducted (n = 34 control; n = 33 experimental) with parents of adolescents in Central Florida who were asked to complete measures before exposure to the program and again approximately one month later. Findings revealed significant differences between the iPAM group and the control group. Specifically, an increase in parent knowledge about underage alcohol use and increased parental monitoring of their adolescent children was revealed. There was also a main effect for time with regard to increased parent-child communication about alcohol. Additionally, while both groups revealed increased communication, the experimental group revealed greater frequency of communication about alcohol although not significantly.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003389, ucf:48454
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003389
- Title
- EVALUATION OF AN EXPECTNACY CHALLENGE CURRICULUM IN REDUCING HIGH RISK ALCOHOL USE AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS WHEN MODIFIED FOR LARGE CLASSES.
- Creator
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Schreiner, Amy, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Alcohol consumption has repeatedly been recognized as the primary public health concern impacting students on college campuses. In response to the prevalence of risky alcohol use and lack of effective response among colleges and universities, the National Advisory Council of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism created a task force to review the relevant research literature on alcohol interventions to advise college administrators on effective program implementation and...
Show moreAlcohol consumption has repeatedly been recognized as the primary public health concern impacting students on college campuses. In response to the prevalence of risky alcohol use and lack of effective response among colleges and universities, the National Advisory Council of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism created a task force to review the relevant research literature on alcohol interventions to advise college administrators on effective program implementation and evaluation as well as provide recommendations for future research directions. Only three strategies met criteria for Tier 1 designation (empirical support specifically with college students) and two of these strategies are intensive and time-consuming individual methods. The third Tier 1 strategy, challenging alcohol expectancies, was the only method that was validated for administration in a group setting. For widespread utility of expectancy-based prevention strategies, effective interventions must be developed for delivery in typical settings. The focus of the present study was to modify an existing classroom curriculum designed to alter expectancy processes of college students for use in classroom settings of 100+ students as they have become the typical class size in college and university settings. The modified expectancy curriculum was implemented in a single session with students during their actual classes. Measures of alcohol consumption and alcohol related harms were collected anonymously for the 30 days prior and the 30 days following the curriculum. Measures of alcohol expectancies were also collected anonymously immediately prior and immediately following the curriculum. Analyses revealed significant reductions in average drinks per sitting males and key expectancy changes for both males and females. A low number of high-risk drinkers led to further exploratory analyses with the exclusion of a proportion of the lighter drinkers in the sample. These analyses revealed significant decreases in average drinks per sitting and peak drinks per sitting for both males and females. There were no significant changes in alcohol related harms. This study represents an important extension of expectancy-based interventions for a college population. An intervention that began as a multi-session, time and resource intensive protocol for a small group of participants has been successfully modified for use with groups of 100+ people. The current protocol can be given to this large a group in a single session curriculum that can be delivered in any standard classroom.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- CFE0003114, ucf:48628
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0003114
- Title
- Evaluation of the Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC) for High School Students.
- Creator
-
Boucher, Alyssa, Dunn, Michael, Renk, Kimberly, Dunn, Stacey, Linkovich Kyle, Tiffany, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
Prevention efforts targeted at children and adolescents are important because alcohol consumption contributes to the three leading causes of death in this among 12-20 year-olds: unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide. Research on the causes of alcohol misuse traditionally focused on pharmacological and genetic explanations, but models have expanded to include cognitive processes in the development of alcohol use patterns. Alcohol expectancies, or beliefs about the effects of alcohol, are...
Show morePrevention efforts targeted at children and adolescents are important because alcohol consumption contributes to the three leading causes of death in this among 12-20 year-olds: unintentional injury, homicide, and suicide. Research on the causes of alcohol misuse traditionally focused on pharmacological and genetic explanations, but models have expanded to include cognitive processes in the development of alcohol use patterns. Alcohol expectancies, or beliefs about the effects of alcohol, are an important influence on drinking behavior. Expectancies exist prior to the initial drinking experience, predict the onset of alcohol consumption, differentiate both children and adults in terms of light- and heavy-drinking patterns, mediate the influence of precursors on alcohol use, and when manipulated, result in significantly decreased alcohol consumption in heavy-drinking college students.The Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC) is a web-based, interactive intervention that leverages technology in order to challenge students' expectancies through a media literacy presentation based on research findings. The 45-minute curriculum links exposure to alcohol media with expectancy beliefs and drinking decisions, and focuses on decreasing the positive reinforcing value of alcohol. The ECALC does not necessarily erase former expectations, but introduces new information about the physiological effects of alcohol that may compete with pre-existing positive expectations for influence over the individual's behavior. Though the ECALC has been validated with college students, the present study involved revising and evaluating the program to be appropriate for high school students. Results revealed changes in expectancy processes for students who reported alcohol use initiation and changes in mean BAC among females in this group.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006294, ucf:51581
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006294
- Title
- The State of Trauma-Informed Care in the Preschool.
- Creator
-
Kolomeyer, Ellen, Renk, Kimberly, Sims, Valerie, Dunn, Michael, Boris, Neil, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
This study aimed to provide a foundational knowledge base from which to begin bridging the gap between research on trauma-informed, relationship-based therapeutic interventions in early childhood preschool classrooms and the practice of such classroom-based interventions. Specifically, this study identified several specific predictors (e.g., funding) and barriers (e.g., lack of knowledge and training in assessment instruments and referral options) to gaining trauma-informed knowledge and...
Show moreThis study aimed to provide a foundational knowledge base from which to begin bridging the gap between research on trauma-informed, relationship-based therapeutic interventions in early childhood preschool classrooms and the practice of such classroom-based interventions. Specifically, this study identified several specific predictors (e.g., funding) and barriers (e.g., lack of knowledge and training in assessment instruments and referral options) to gaining trauma-informed knowledge and engaging in trauma-informed practices in preschool classrooms. Individuals in leadership roles at preschools were sampled anonymously with regard to their current trauma-informed knowledge and program practices. Participants included 98 preschool leaders from Florida, 36 preschool leaders from Maryland, and 34 preschool leaders from Wyoming. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the variables of interest. ANCOVA with bootstrapping was conducted to determine whether there were significant differences between programs based on their state and funding source. There was no effect of state. In contrast, funding source predicted trauma-informed knowledge and practices, with federal/state funding being related to higher levels of knowledge and trauma-informed practices. Additionally, multiple regression analyses with bootstrapping were examined to determine significant predictors of preschool leaders' trauma-informed knowledge and practices. Similarly, results indicated that programs differed significantly in trauma-informed knowledge and screening practices based on their source of funding, with federal/state funding again predicting more trauma-informed knowledge and practices. Researchers may be able to benefit from the unique information found in this study as a launching point to inform program development and disseminate community- and nation-wide models of trauma-informed care in preschool classrooms. Implications for future studies are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007341, ucf:52143
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007341
- Title
- Protective Behavioral Strategies and Alcohol-Related Sex Among College Students.
- Creator
-
Peterson, Roselyn, Dvorak, Robert, Newins, Amie, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Adverse sexual outcomes (e.g., sexual regret, sexual risk, and sexual assault) are a common experience among college students. In particular, regretted sex is reported by a third of college students and may result in psychological harm. Previous literature has found that alcohol is involved in approximately one third of regretted sex experienced by college students. A gap exists in the literature identifying who is more susceptible to experiencing a regretted sexual experience. Previous...
Show moreAdverse sexual outcomes (e.g., sexual regret, sexual risk, and sexual assault) are a common experience among college students. In particular, regretted sex is reported by a third of college students and may result in psychological harm. Previous literature has found that alcohol is involved in approximately one third of regretted sex experienced by college students. A gap exists in the literature identifying who is more susceptible to experiencing a regretted sexual experience. Previous research has shown that students who implement protective behavioral strategies (PBS) while drinking are able to reduce alcohol-related negative consequences, including regretted sexual experiences. Three sub-types of PBS exist: Stopping/Limiting Drinking (SLD), Manner of Drinking (MD), and Serious Harm Reduction (SHR). The current study examines associations between regretted sexual experiences, alcohol use, and PBS. Participants were a sample of college students (n = 349) who completed a series of online surveys that assessed drinking habits, alcohol-related negative consequences (e.g., regretted sex), and PBS use. A multi-group path analysis (grouped by gender) found that alcohol use was positively associated with regretted sexual experiences. One of the three PBS sub-types, MD, was negatively associated with regretted sexual experiences. This association was mediated by alcohol use. A different PBS subtype, SHR, yielded a direct negative relationship with regretted sexual experiences for women, but not for men. Lastly, the interaction of SHR and alcohol use was significantly associated with regretted sexual experiences and varied by biological sex. Among women, low SHR potentiated the positive association between alcohol and regretted sex; in contrast, high SHR attenuated this association. In order to inform future interventions and subsequently decrease the number of alcohol-related negative consequences, further examination of differences in relationships between PBS subtypes, alcohol use, and regretted sex for men and women is warranted.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007706, ucf:52448
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007706
- Title
- Alcohol Pathology and the Triarchic Model of Psychopathy: The Role of Protective Behavioral Strategies and Impulsivity.
- Creator
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Kramer, Matthew, Dvorak, Robert, Beidel, Deborah, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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OVERVIEW: Psychopathy has been an area of growing interest in psychology for the last half century. Currently, the most common conceptualization of psychopathy breaks it down into two factors: primary and secondary psychopathy. More recently, psychopathy has been viewed through a more nuanced model, the Triarchic Model of Psychopathy. The present study examines the relationship between the three facets of the Triarchic Model and alcohol pathology via aspects of impulsivity and Protective...
Show moreOVERVIEW: Psychopathy has been an area of growing interest in psychology for the last half century. Currently, the most common conceptualization of psychopathy breaks it down into two factors: primary and secondary psychopathy. More recently, psychopathy has been viewed through a more nuanced model, the Triarchic Model of Psychopathy. The present study examines the relationship between the three facets of the Triarchic Model and alcohol pathology via aspects of impulsivity and Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS). METHOD: A college student sample of n = 967 individuals who endorsed consuming alcohol completed surveys regarding the Triarchic Model, impulsivity, PBS use, and alcohol pathology. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that boldness and disinhibition are significant predictors of alcohol pathology. Boldness was partially mediated by conscientiousness, while disinhibition was partially mediated by both conscientiousness and PBS use. Meanness was not associated with higher levels of alcohol pathology. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that aspects of psychopathy related to disinhibition and boldness are predictive of alcohol pathology, while meanness, though similar to primary psychopathy, does not relate to alcohol pathology as hypothesized. This thesis not only adds to the literature between psychopathy and alcohol pathology but allows for a more exact insight regarding aspects of psychopathy and their relation to alcohol pathology.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0007211, ucf:52278
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007211
- Title
- Subjective-Objective Discrepancies Among Patients with Sleep Complaints in the Patient-Centered Medical Home.
- Creator
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Dotson, Keri, Dunn, Michael, Cassisi, Jeffrey, Bowers, Clint, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Sleep misperception (-) the discrepancy between objective and subjective measures of sleep (-) has been shown to be prevalent among patients with insomnia and may be a promising target for sleep intervention. This study examined sleep misperception in a diverse outpatient medical sample using consumer-grade wearable actigraphs (i.e., Fitbit Charge HR(TM)). Forty-four self-identified problem sleepers aged 20 to 79 participated in the study. Participants completed sleep diaries for one week...
Show moreSleep misperception (-) the discrepancy between objective and subjective measures of sleep (-) has been shown to be prevalent among patients with insomnia and may be a promising target for sleep intervention. This study examined sleep misperception in a diverse outpatient medical sample using consumer-grade wearable actigraphs (i.e., Fitbit Charge HR(TM)). Forty-four self-identified problem sleepers aged 20 to 79 participated in the study. Participants completed sleep diaries for one week while also tracking their sleep using the Fitbit Charge HR(TM). After receiving a personalized sleep report based on these data, participants repeated another week of sleep assessment. Sleep misperception was observed for both total sleep time and sleep onset latency during the first week, such that participants underestimated their total amount of sleep per night and overestimated the amount of time it took them to fall asleep. Pre-post changes in self-reported sleep, mood, and health were examined as a secondary aim in this study. Objectively measured sleep remained relatively unchanged from baseline to follow-up. Despite this lack of change in actual sleep, participants perceived themselves to be sleeping more hours per night, falling asleep more quickly, and sleeping better overall at one-week follow-up. Statistically significant improvements in depression, anxiety, mental health functioning, and insomnia symptom severity were also observed at follow-up. Overall, findings showed that sleep misperception is prevalent among problem sleepers and that sleep discrepancy can be reduced through the use of corrective sleep feedback.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2018
- Identifier
- CFE0006976, ucf:51645
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006976
- Title
- Rethinking Drinking: A Paradigm Shift for Estimating Social and Behavioral Harm.
- Creator
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Hall, Thomas, Wright, James, Gay, David, Cook, Ida, Dunn, Michael, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This study challenges old saws about negative consequences attributed to alcohol use. Previous research findings associate negative social and behavioral consequences with alcohol consumption, as if college students only do regrettable things when they are drunk. Typical research related to negative consequences and alcohol use relies on retrospective self-reporting. Investigators often frame negative consequences as outcomes of problematic drinking or, as more commonly labeled, "binge...
Show moreThis study challenges old saws about negative consequences attributed to alcohol use. Previous research findings associate negative social and behavioral consequences with alcohol consumption, as if college students only do regrettable things when they are drunk. Typical research related to negative consequences and alcohol use relies on retrospective self-reporting. Investigators often frame negative consequences as outcomes of problematic drinking or, as more commonly labeled, "binge drinking." In the nomenclature of prevention, binge drinking is not a direct measure of alcohol use resulting in intoxication; it is a hypothetical tipping point, predicting an increased likelihood of the incidence of negative consequences at some (often unspecified) point in the path between (")sober(") and (")drunk(").It is obvious that social and behavioral distress and misbehavior are not limited to drinking. Students miss class, express regrets, say or do embarrassing things, and get injured while sober as well as while drinking. Contemporary measures of alcohol-related negative consequences do not typically control for the prevalence of negative consequences when respondents are sober as well as when they are drinking. Thus it is unclear if the association between drinking and negative consequences is exclusively attributable to alcohol consumption, as is frequently assumed. Self-reported alcohol-related negative consequences might reflect a priori attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors and be unrelated to drinking. The prevalence of social complications unassociated with drinking merits investigation. A better understanding of the overall prevalence of negative consequences is needed to test the notion that drinking, binge drinking in particular, leads to numerous negative consequences presently reported in the alcohol studies literature.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2016
- Identifier
- CFE0006112, ucf:51196
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006112
- Title
- Stand-Alone Personalized Normative Feedback for College Student Drinkers: A Meta-Analytic Review, 2004 to 2014.
- Creator
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Dotson, Keri, Dunn, Michael, Cassisi, Jeffrey, Bowers, Clint, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Personalized normative feedback (PNF) has shown promise as a stand-alone intervention for reducing alcohol use among college students. PNF uses norms clarification to correct drinking norms misperceptions by highlighting discrepancies between personal alcohol use, perceived peer alcohol use, and actual peer alcohol use. Previous reviews of personalized feedback interventions have identified norms clarification as key a component, prompting researchers to study PNF as a single-component...
Show morePersonalized normative feedback (PNF) has shown promise as a stand-alone intervention for reducing alcohol use among college students. PNF uses norms clarification to correct drinking norms misperceptions by highlighting discrepancies between personal alcohol use, perceived peer alcohol use, and actual peer alcohol use. Previous reviews of personalized feedback interventions have identified norms clarification as key a component, prompting researchers to study PNF as a single-component intervention for college drinking. As the number of publications focused on PNF effectiveness has increased in recent years, an empirical review of these studies is warranted to assess the potential impact of PNF as a stand-alone program. The purpose of the present study was to summarize available research and to perform a meta-analytic review of personalized normative feedback as a stand-alone intervention for college student drinking. Studies were included if they examined a stand-alone PNF drinking intervention, used a college student sample, reported alcohol use outcomes, and used a pre-post experimental design with follow-up at least 28 days post-intervention. Eight studies (13 interventions) completed between 2004 and 2014 were included. Effect size estimates (ESs) were calculated as the standardized mean difference in change scores between treatment and control groups. Compared to control participants, students who received PNF reported a greater reduction in drinking and harms from baseline to follow-up. Results were similar for both gender-neutral and gender-specific PNF. Overall, intervention effects for drinking were small but reliable. This study offers an empirical summary of stand-alone PNF for reducing college student drinking and provides a foundation for future research.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005606, ucf:50257
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005606
- Title
- Evaluation of a digitally enhanced Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC) for use with mandated college students.
- Creator
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Fried, Abigail, Dunn, Michael, Cassisi, Jeffrey, Bowers, Clint, Orr, Deborah, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Alcohol use has been a longstanding problem on college campuses. Despite the efforts National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the commissioned Task Force on College Drinking (2002), there has been a recent rise in the number of alcohol related arrests and violations on college campuses. Within the high-risk mandated student population, the most successful programs utilize motivational enhancement strategies, such as the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College...
Show moreAlcohol use has been a longstanding problem on college campuses. Despite the efforts National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the commissioned Task Force on College Drinking (2002), there has been a recent rise in the number of alcohol related arrests and violations on college campuses. Within the high-risk mandated student population, the most successful programs utilize motivational enhancement strategies, such as the Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS). Likely due to financial constraints, an important issue that has been raised is the limited availability of validated methods for alcohol prevention and intervention on college campuses. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the digitally assisted Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC) by direct comparison of the ECALC to an already well-established treatment (i.e., BASICS) in an effort to reduce problematic alcohol use and related negative consequences among mandated college students. The role of the digital enhancements is to decrease time and resources necessary for training facilitators and aid in widespread implementation. Analyses revealed significant reductions on all four positive alcohol expectancies subscales for those in the ECALC condition and a significant intervening effect for the expectancies of Sociability and Liquid Courage. Results also revealed that for both males and females, those in the ECALC condition demonstrated significantly greater reductions in frequency of alcohol use (i.e., number of drinking days per month) and comparable reductions in typical (i.e., mean BAC, average drinks per sitting, average drinks per week) and heavy alcohol use (i.e., peak BAC, peak drinks per sitting, number of binge episodes) at follow-up when compared to those in the BASICS condition.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004843, ucf:49712
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004843
- Title
- Evaluation of a Digitally-Automated Alcohol Curriculum Designed to Alter Expectancies and Alcohol Use in First Year College Students.
- Creator
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Schreiner, Amy, Dunn, Michael, Cassisi, Jeffrey, Bowers, Clint, Linkovich Kyle, Tiffany, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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High-risk alcohol consumption remains a primary public health concern for students on college campuses. In response to this concern the National Advisory Council of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism created a task force to identify and recommend strategies to aid college administrators in implementing effective alcohol programming at their institutions. While most administrators report being aware of these recommendations, many have not successfully implemented...
Show moreHigh-risk alcohol consumption remains a primary public health concern for students on college campuses. In response to this concern the National Advisory Council of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism created a task force to identify and recommend strategies to aid college administrators in implementing effective alcohol programming at their institutions. While most administrators report being aware of these recommendations, many have not successfully implemented empirically supported interventions on their campuses. One significant barrier is the cost and difficulty of training and hiring skilled staff to implement these interventions. Of the strategies identified as effective, challenging alcohol expectancies is the only strategy validated for group administration with college students and has significant potential to address this remaining barrier. However, current expectancy-based interventions still require highly trained expert facilitators for implementation. The present study aimed to convert the previously validated Expectancy Challenge Alcohol Literacy Curriculum (ECALC) into a digital format amenable to non-expert facilitation. The resulting digital ECALC was implemented in 48 class sections of a first year student course in a group randomized trial. It was hypothesized that receiving the digital ECALC would result in significant changes in alcohol expectancies and subsequent changes in alcohol use and related harms. Analyses revealed significant changes in both positive and negative expectancies following the digital ECALC, however no significant changes in alcohol consumption or alcohol-related harms were observed at a 30 day follow-up. Exploratory subgroup analyses revealed significant differences between experimental and control groups on average and peak drinks per sitting for classes receiving the digital ECALC during the fall semester only. Semester specific variables, environmental context, and social influence variables may have contributed to the lack of behavioral changes in the overall sample following observed expectancy changes. This study represents an important development in expectancy-based interventions for college students as the digital format removed the need for an expert facilitator and maintained significant changes in expectancies. Future studies should focus on replication of these expectancy changes and on demonstrating subsequent changes in alcohol use and related harms. The present study also represents the first evaluation of a group-administered expectancy intervention to report on intra-class correlations which will aid future researchers in designing sufficiently powered studies going forward.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFE0005412, ucf:50425
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005412
