Behavioral assessment technique as a clinical intervention

Behavioral assessment procedures have been used to predict the onset of addictive behaviors. However, no controlled studies have been conducted to demonstrate the usefulness of such procedures in the treatment of drug abuse. A group using the Behavioral Assessment Technique (BAT) as an indicator for clinical intervention was compared to a group in which the BAT was not used clinically. The results indicated that the BAT was not particularly effective for clinical purposes. This failure was independent of the BAT's accuracy in predicting drug usage. Alternative hypotheses were discussed.