Valuing the future at different temporal points: The role of time framing on discounting.

The rate of delay discounting exhibited by individuals has been experimentally altered by manipulating the way in which time is described, a specific application of the framing effect. Previous research suggests that using specific dates to describe delays tends to lower temporal discounting and change the shape of the discounting function. The main purpose of this study was to assess the influence of framing on discounting in different temporal contexts. Participants chose between hypothetical monetary gains (gains group), or between hypothetical monetary losses (losses group). Each group completed eight discounting tasks over two sessions (two choice tasks [SmallNow/SmallSoon] by two time frames [dates/calendar units] by two magnitudes. The results indicate that Mazur's model adequately described the observed discounting functions in most conditions. However, the decrease in discounting rate when both consequences were delayed only occurred when calendar units (but not dates) were used for both gains and losses. These findings suggest that framing affects the influence of a shared delay instead of changing the shape of the discounting function. Our results support the idea that time influences behavior similarly in humans and nonhumans when they choose between two delayed consequences.

Impulsive mechanisms influencing relapse in alcohol drinking.

Impulsivity has been related to different features of addictive behaviors. Growing data, generated in separated lines of research, suggest that different processes underlying impulsivity are associated to relapse in alcohol drinking. Considering the evidence, relapse can be understood as an impulsive choice or as an impulsive action. In the first case, the return to drinking behavior is a consequence of insensitive to delayed consequence, that is, to the discounting of delayed rewards. In the second case, relapse is a consequence of failures to inhibit prepotent responses. Nevertheless, conditions that control the action of each mechanism or their interaction to influence relapse still unknown. We hypothesize that both mechanisms interact to produce relapse depending on framing effects, the moments of a drinking episode or context. The implication of the hypothesis is that relapse prevention strategies need to reduce discounting rate, but also to increase behavioral inhibition in the presence of cues related to alcohol.

The Recovery from Alcohol Consumption: Analysis of the Construct of Relapse.

OBJECTIVE: A systematic review was conducted to identify definitions that facilitated the study of relapse as both behavioral pattern and process. METHODS: The review was conducted following the PRISMA-P guidelines. Articles that met the following inclusion criteria were considered: (a) published in peer-reviewed journals, (b) provided an explicit operational definition of relapse, (c) assessed relapse during or after a specific psychological or self-care group intervention, (d) focused on alcohol consumption, and (e) were published between 2000 and September 2016. RESULTS: "Any drinking" was the most frequent outcome used to identify relapse, although other discrete outcomes were also considered. Nevertheless, none of the definitions operationalize the notion of the return to a problematic drinking pattern and/or the process of relapse. CONCLUSION: Problems related to any drinking definition are discussed and we propose the use of a composed index to study relapse.

OBJETIVO: Se realizó una revisión sistemática para identificar definiciones que permitieran el estudio de la recaída como un patrón y proceso conductual. MÉTODO: La revisión fue realizada siguiendo los lineamientos de la guía PRISMA-P. Los artículos que cumplían con los siguientes criterios fueron revisados: (1) publicados en revistas con revisión por pares, (b) definían explícitamente la recaída, (c) se evaluó la recaída después o durante un tratamiento psicológico o participación en un grupo de autoayuda, (d) la intervención se enfocaba en el consumo de alcohol, (d) publicados entre el año 2000 y septiembre de 2016. RESULTADOS: Cualquier consumo fue el resultado más frecuentemente usado para definir la recaída, aunque otros resultados discretos también se consideraron. No obstante, ninguna de las definiciones operacionales reflejó la noción del regreso a un patrón de consumo problemático y/o el proceso a la recaída. CONCLUSIONES: Problemas relacionados a la definición de cualquier consumo son discutidos y se propone un índice compuesto para estudiar la recaída.

Resultados preliminares de la eficacia de una intervención grupal para adolescentes que usan sustancias en México

Introducción. El Programa de Intervención Breve para Adolescentes que inician el consumo abusivo de alcohol y drogas [PIBA] fue diseñado para disminuir los problemas de uso de sustancias entre los adolescentes mexicanos. Si bien los estudios han respaldado la eficacia de PIBA cuando se implementa uno a uno, no se ha examinado la viabilidad y eficacia de PIBA cuando se implementa en grupos. La implementación grupal tiene el potencial de aumentar el alcance y la rentabilidad de PIBA. Objetivo. Proporcionar una evaluación preliminar del formato de PIBA grupal. Método. Dos grupos de adolescentes recibieron la intervención. La efectividad preliminar se evaluó en todos los resultados, incluidos los patrones de uso de sustancias, la autoeficacia para controlar el uso de sustancias y las consecuencias asociadas con el uso de sustancias. Resultados. El PIBA implementado en una modalidad grupal disminuyó significativamente los niveles de uso de sustancias en adolescentes y fue eficaz para aumentar la autoeficacia para controlar el uso de sustancias y disminuir el número de consecuencias asociadas. Discusión y conclusión. Se discuten las fortalezas y limitaciones del formato de grupo PIBA, incluyendo el análisis de los resultados de dos adolescentes que se diferenciaron del resto de la muestra. Los resultados de este estudio son el primer paso para generar un programa basado en evidencia

Introduction. The brief intervention program for adolescents with substance use [PIBA] was designed to decrease substance use problems among Mexican adolescents. While studies have supported the efficacy of PIBA when implemented one-on-one, the feasibility and efficacy of PIBA when implemented in groups have not been examined. Group implementation holds potential for increasing the reach and cost effectiveness of PIBA. Objective. To provide a preliminary evaluation of group format PIBA. Method. Two groups of adolescents received the intervention. Preliminary effectiveness was evaluated across outcomes including substance use patterns, self-efficacy for controlling substance use, and consequences associated with substance use. Results. PIBA implemented in a group modality significantly decreased the substance use levels in the adolescents and was effective in increasing self-efficacy for controlling substance use and decreasing the number of consequences associated. Discussion and conclusion. Strengths and limitations of group format PIBA are discussed, including the analysis of the results of two adolescents that differed from the rest of the sample. The results of this study are the first step to generate an evidence-based program

The absence of numbers to express the amount may affect delay discounting with humans.

Human delay discounting is usually studied with experimental protocols that use symbols to express delay and amount. In order to further understand discounting, we evaluated whether the absence of numbers to represent reward amounts affects discount rate in general, and whether the magnitude effect is generalized to nonsymbolic situations in particular. In Experiment 1, human participants were exposed to a delay-discounting task in which rewards were presented using dots to represent monetary rewards (nonsymbolic); under this condition the magnitude effect did not occur. Nevertheless, the magnitude effect was observed when equivalent reward amounts were presented using numbers (symbolic). Moreover, in estimation tasks, magnitude increments produced underestimation of large amounts. In Experiment 2, participants were exposed only to the nonsymbolic discounting task and were required to estimate reward amounts in each trial. Consistent with Experiment 1, the absence of numbers representing reward amounts produced similar discount rates of small and large rewards. These results suggest that value of nonsymbolic rewards is a nonlinear function of amount and that value attribution depends on perceived difference between the immediate and the delayed nonsymbolic rewards.