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Factors affecting agreement between alcohol abusers' and their collaterals' reports
L C Sobell1, S Agrawal, M B Sobell
1Addiction Research Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Journal of Studies on Alcohol
|July 1, 1997
Summary
Collateral reports, especially from spouses, best corroborate alcohol abuse self-reports when informants are confident. This improves the accuracy of drinking behavior data in studies.
Area of Science:
- Addiction research
- Psychology
- Behavioral science
Background:
- Collateral reports are frequently used to validate self-reports from alcohol abusers due to cost-effectiveness and ease of use.
- While generally reliable, neither self-reports nor collateral reports are error-free, necessitating investigation into agreement factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine factors influencing the level of agreement between alcohol abusers' self-reports and their collaterals' reports.
- Investigate the impact of collateral type and informant confidence on report agreement.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 120 individuals recovering from alcohol-related problems and their collaterals.
- Examined agreement based on collateral type (e.g., spouse) and collateral confidence ratings.
- Assessed collaterals' awareness of non-alcohol-related behaviors.
Main Results:
- Highest agreement was observed with reports from spouses who expressed high confidence in their information.
- A notable proportion of collaterals provided specific behavioral details while admitting uncertainty.
- Demand characteristics influenced some collateral responses.
Conclusions:
- Confident collateral informants, particularly spouses, are preferred for corroborating alcohol abusers' drinking behavior.
- Treatment outcome studies should prioritize reports from collaterals demonstrating confidence in their provided information.