Abstract :
[en] Craving is a key process in substance use disorders, which is usually investigated through repeated, self-reported measurements. However, this procedure is vulnerable to various experimental biases. Not only are craving questionnaires often very explicit, but their repeated use could be a source of bias, due to (first measure) priming effects. In addition, social desirability (SD) which is the tendency to try to make oneself look good, and demand effects, which refer to the impact of the participants trying to uncover what the study is about and behaving accordingly, are other sources of bias that could affect craving assessment. In this context, we investigated whether the repeated use of a self-reported craving scale could impact its final evaluation after cue-exposure through a video, in regard of SD, demand-, and priming effects. To this end, 74 volunteers were recruited and divided into two groups: (1) pre-post craving assessment group and (2) post-only group. SD, demand effects, and severity of alcohol consumption were assessed in both groups. The results show a significant effect of alcohol consumption level and experimental group (pre-post vs post-only) on post-experimental craving, and a significant interaction between these two variables. However, no impact of SD or demand effects on self-reported craving were found. In summary, our results indicate that the type of experimental design used could affect craving assessment, and differently according to individual consumption patterns.
