Internal Reliability Estimates of Substance-Related Cognitive Bias

1. Internal Reliability Estimates of Substance-Related Cognitive Bias Alia F. Ataya1, Sally Adams1, Emma Mullings1, Robbie M. Cooper 2, Angela S. Attwood1and Marcus R. Munafò1 1 School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, 2 School of Life, Sport and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University There is growing interest in cognitive biases related to substance use, but evidence from the anxiety literature suggests that tasks commonly used to assess these may suffer from low internal reliability. We examined the internal reliability of the visual probe and modified Stroop tasks. Introduction There is growing interest in cognitive biases related to substance use, the presence of which is predicted by incentive-sensitization and other models of addiction (Field and Cox 2008). To date, no published study has examined the internal reliability of comparable tasks designed to assay substance-related cognitive bias. Here we examine estimates of internal reliability from seven studies investigating the salience of substance-related cues in alcohol and tobacco users using the visual probe and modified Stroop tasks. Methods Studies 1 and 2 examined cognitive bias to alcohol cues in social drinkers, who received either placebo or an alcohol challenge. Studies 3 and 4 also examined cognitive bias in social drinkers, but with no challenge condition. Studies 5, 6 and 7 examined cognitive biases to tobacco cues in cigarette smokers, the first following either placebo or an nicotine challenge and the second following either placebo or an alcohol challenge, while the third did not use a challenge condition. Studies 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 used a visual probe task and a modified Stroop task, while study 3 used two versions of the visual probe task (one using picture stimuli and one using word stimuli) and study 4 used two versions of the modified Stroop task (again one using picture stimuli and one using word stimuli). In all cases, different tasks and task formats were presented in counterbalanced order. Figure 2 – Modified Stroop Task (Lexical and Pictorial Version) Figure 1 – Visual Probe Task (Lexical and Pictorial Version) Results Cronbach’s α was calculated as an index of internal reliability. Bias scores were calculated for stimulus pairs in each task. For the visual probe task, α coefficients ranged from 0.00 - 0.50, with no studies achieving the acceptable 0.70 level. For the modified Stroop task, α coefficients were somewhat higher, and ranged from 0.53 - 0.98, although in only two studies was the average α coefficient across conditions above the 0.70 level. There was no clear pattern of drug challenge being associated with α coefficient. Table 1. Internal Reliability Estimates for Substance-Related Cognitive Bias in the Visual Probe and Modified Stroop Tasks. Reliability estimates calculated using Cronbach’s alpha. Individual RT outliers defined as < 100 ms and > 1000 ms in the visual-probe task and < 200 ms and > 2000 ms in the modified Stroop task. * Stimulus set A; †Stimulus set B. Discussion The modified Stroop task is preferable to the visual probe task as a measure of substance-related cognitive bias, on the basis of its psychometric properties. Studies using cognitive bias tasks should not assume they are reliable, and should routinely report reliability estimates where possible. References Field, M. and W. M. Cox (2008). "Attentional bias in addictive behaviors: A review of its development, causes, and consequences." Drug and Alcohol Dependence97(1-2): 1-20. . Alia Ataya School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, 12a Priory Road, Bristol BS8 1TU, UK. Alia.Ataya@bristol.ac.uk This poster is financially supported by an educational grant from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council . This poster has no potential conflict of interest to declare.