Design, efficacy, and methodology considerations for brief interventions: Intervention delivery and incentives

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Intervention Science

Background:

• College students exhibit high rates of heavy drinking, necessitating effective interventions.
• Personalized normative feedback (PNF) shows promise for reducing alcohol consumption.
• Methodological factors like delivery modality and incentives may influence intervention effectiveness and participant engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of delivery modality (in-lab vs. remote) and incentives on attrition, data quality, processing depth, and perceived value of a PNF intervention.
• To examine the relationship between depth of processing, intervention value, and drinking reduction.
• To determine if PNF is effective in reducing drinking among heavy-drinking college students.

Main Methods:

• A 2x2x2 factorial design involving 498 heavy-drinking college students.
• Conditions included in-person vs. remote delivery, incentive ($30 gift card) vs. no incentive, and PNF vs. attention control.
• Follow-ups were conducted remotely at 3 and 6 months, with compensation for completed assessments.

Main Results:

• In-lab participation and the offer of an incentive significantly reduced study attrition.
• In-lab participants provided higher quality baseline data and reported greater depth of processing and intervention value.
• PNF intervention was associated with reduced drinking; however, depth of processing and intervention value did not predict drinking reduction.

Conclusions:

• Conducting interventions in-lab and offering incentives can improve participant retention and data quality.
• While not essential for effectiveness, these factors may enhance the engagement with brief PNF interventions.
• PNF remains a viable strategy for reducing college student drinking, irrespective of specific delivery or incentive structures.