Alcohol Impaired Driving: From the Laboratory to the Natural Environment

Building on laboratory findings from the the PI's (McCarthy) previous work, this project is
designed to test AID decision making in both the lab and the natural drinking environment in
which AID decisions are made.

Participants complete a laboratory alcohol administration session followed by six weeks of
multi-method ambulatory assessment. The ambulatory assessment component will include
participant report via smartphone, portable breathalizer (BACtrack), and location and
movement data passively collected by the smartphone GPS/accelerometer. The combination of
these methods will allow for the integration of subjective (e.g., perceived intoxication) and
objective (e.g., BrAC, calculated drinking location) data for each drinking episode.

Aim 1 of the project is to test laboratory measures as prospective predictors of AID and
examine the role of event-level influences on specific AID decisions.

Aim 2 of the proposed project is to test the potential for a novel intervention to reduce AID
using mobile technology. Participants will be randomly assigned to either a full ambulatory
assessment or a minimal assessment control condition. The timing of the introduction of AA
will also be manipulated within the full ambulatory assessment condition. This design will
allow us to test whether the introduction of ambulatory assessment produces changes in AID
behavior, as well as whether such changes persist once ambulatory assessment is discontinued.
Changes made to the revised application are aimed at ensuring the achievement of both study
aims. If Aim 2 is achieved and ambulatory assessment alters AID behavior, the combination of
the minimal assessment control condition and the full assessment condition prior to the
introduction of ambulatory assessment has sufficient sample size and power to test Aim 1
hypotheses.

Inclusion Criteria:

- moderate to heavy drinkers must drive regularly report recent binge drinking fluent in
english

Exclusion Criteria:

- not in treatment for substance use disorder or other psychiatric disorders BMI under
30 no medical conditions contraindicating alcohol consumption