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Behavioral economic demand assessments in the addictions
Elizabeth R Aston1, Rachel N Cassidy1
1Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912, United States; Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Heath, Providence, RI, 02912, United States.
Abstract:
Behavioral economics in the addictions is the application of both economics and psychology to study multifaceted components of substance use decision-making behavior. One such component is demand: the relative value of a substance for a user (i.e., the association between drug use and cost). The degree to which a user values a substance can be measured via performance on hypothetical purchase tasks which replicate drug purchase and consumption. Demand has been evaluated across substances, including alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and alternative tobacco products. Recent advances in the study of demand have greatly improved the assessment of drug value, including application to novel products, selection of optimal task unit, assessment of demand in naïve or potential future users, and the importance of instructional set specificity.
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