Comparison of two techniques to obtain retrospective reports of drinking behavior from alcohol abusers

Two different interview techniques, used to obtain retrospective reports of daily drinking behavior from alcohol abusers, were empirically evaluated for degree of consistency. Fifteen male alcohol abusers receiving outpatient treatment for alcohol problems participated in two different studies: an alcohol treatment outcome study conducted by the Rand Corporation, and an evaluation of the reliability and validity of a time-line follow-back interview technique. The degree of consistency of self-reports of certain demographic information as well as drinking and related behaviors occurring 30 days pretreatment was evaluated Correlational and scatterplot analyses showed a moderate to high degree of agreement between the two data sources, leading confidence to the information obtained from each of the interview methods. Limits on the generalizability of these findings are discussed.