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The Alcohol Intervention Mechanisms Scale (AIMS): Preliminary Reliability and Validity of a Common Factor
M Magill1, Timothy R Apodaca2, Justin Walthers1
1Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
|October 4, 2016
Summary
The Alcohol Intervention Mechanisms Scale (AIMS) reliably measures therapist behaviors in alcohol use disorder treatment. It shows promise as a tool for assessing common intervention functions like exploring, teaching, and connecting.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Therapist interventions in alcohol use disorder treatment vary widely across modalities.
- Existing observer rating systems often focus on intervention content rather than function.
- A need exists for a reliable measure of common therapist intervention functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of the Alcohol Intervention Mechanisms Scale (AIMS).
- To assess the pilot reliability and validity of the AIMS.
- To evaluate the AIMS's ability to measure therapist intervention functions (explore, teach, connect) in behavioral alcohol treatment.
Main Methods:
- Developed the AIMS based on common intervention functions and existing rating systems.
- Trained three independent raters on AIMS usage.
- Analyzed audio recordings from Project MATCH therapy sessions using the AIMS.
Main Results:
- AIMS function summary scores demonstrated excellent reliability (intraclass coefficients .94–.99).
- Global skillfulness measures showed fair to moderate reliability (kappa .36–.40).
- Concurrent validity analyses indicated expected associations with criterion measures.
Conclusions:
- The AIMS is a reliable observational measure for assessing core functions in behavioral alcohol treatment.
- The scale shows promise for evaluating therapist adherence and competence.
- Further validation of the factor structure may be warranted.
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