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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
Published on: April 28, 2022
Self-report of drinking compared to objective markers of alcohol consumption
Jennifer L Whitford1, Sabina C Widner, Davis Mellick
1Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Augusta, Georgia 30904, USA. velovino@msn.com
Background:
The validity of self-report data is an area of continuing concern in the substance abuse treatment field. It is uncertain how well self-report of alcohol relapse corresponds with more objective indices.
Methods:
We compared the self-report of alcohol relapse to collateral reports and biological indices of relapse. Twelve-month post-treatment follow-up data were collected from 94 male and female alcohol dependent veterans and 93 of their respective collateral contacts. Biological indices included breathalyzer data, and the blood enzymes aspartate aminotransferase, y-glutamyltransferase, and alanine aminotransferase.
Results:
A collapsed factor of the more objective indices of use was moderately associated with self-report. A logistic regression analysis revealed that only collateral reports of use predicted the self-report of alcohol relapse. The specificity of collateral report was 82.4% and the sensitivity was 71.9%.
Conclusions:
Collateral informants serve an important function in supporting the validity of self-report of abstinence versus relapse.
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