Mark Sobell | Nova Southeastern University (original) (raw)
Papers by Mark Sobell
Behavior Therapy, 1992
Social cognitive theory predicts that persons will be more motivated to achieve goals that they s... more Social cognitive theory predicts that persons will be more motivated to achieve goals that they select. One hundred fifty eight alcohol abusers in outpatient treatment were asked about their goal selection preferences (i.e., self-selection, therapist-selection) and how likely they would be to achieve goals set by themselves or by a therapist. A clear majority indicated they preferred goal self-selection, and that they would be more likely to achieve self-set goals. Clients with more serious drinking problems were significantly more likely to favor therapist-set goals. Significantly more clients with at least some university education preferred self-selection of goals as compared to lesser educated clients.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 1996
The Alcohol Timeline Followback {TLFB) has been shown to be a psychometrically sound assessment i... more The Alcohol Timeline Followback {TLFB) has been shown to be a psychometrically sound assessment instrument for obtaining retrospective daily estimates of alcohol consumption. These evaluations, however, have been limited to face-to-face paper-andpencil interviews. As use of the TLFB method has increased, investigators have reported using the method to collect follow-up data by telephone. Also, as with many assessment instruments, a computerized version of the TLFB method has been developed. The psychometric characteristics of the TLFB method under these administration conditions have not been evaluated. This paper presents results from two studies showing that the Alcohol TLFB method can obtain reliable drinking data when administered over the telephone and by computer .
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 2014
Promoting Self-Change (PSC), a community-based intervention (Sobell et al., 2002) derived from re... more Promoting Self-Change (PSC), a community-based intervention (Sobell et al., 2002) derived from research on natural recoveries with alcohol abusers and clinical trials using a Guided Self-Change (GSC) treatment model for problem drinkers, took elements from the GSC model and offered it to individuals in the community who wanted to change their drinking on their own.
Substance Use & Misuse, 2001
Although many people recover from substance-use associated problems on their own, little is known... more Although many people recover from substance-use associated problems on their own, little is known about this phenomenon. The paper had two objectives: to use a new research method, computer-assisted content analysis, to understand alcohol and drug abusers ' perceived reasons for self-change and to undertake a comparative evaluation across substances and cultures to validate previous findings about subjective appraisal processes. Three studies of natural recoveries of alcohol and drug abusers in two countries conducted taperecorded interviews with 216 respondents. The taped responses were coded based on a content analytic dictionary approach using a computerized content analysis program. All three studies found several processes mediating the decision to change substance use. The computer content analysis confirmed a cognitive appraisal process regardless of the cultural setting or substance. The findings suggest that several procedures might have benefit in clinical interventions.
Journal of studies on alcohol, 1986
The drinking behavior of 96 male normal drinking college students was assessed after they viewed ... more The drinking behavior of 96 male normal drinking college students was assessed after they viewed a videotape of a popular prime-time television program complete with advertisements. Different versions of the videotape were used to evaluate the effects of a television program with and without alcohol scenes as crossed with the effects of three different types of advertisements (i.e., beer, nonalcoholic beverages and food). After viewing the videotape, the subjects, who were led to believe that they were participating in two separate and unrelated sets of experimental procedures, were asked to perform a taste rating of light beers, which actually provided an unobtrusive measure of their alcohol consumption. The results provided no support for the widely held assumption that drinking scenes in television programs or televised advertisements for alcoholic beverages precipitate increased drinking by viewers. This finding, however, must be considered in the context of the laboratory setti...
Journal of studies on alcohol, 1993
The self-reported ability of 96 alcohol abusers to resist the urge to drink heavily was assessed ... more The self-reported ability of 96 alcohol abusers to resist the urge to drink heavily was assessed after they viewed a videotape of a popular prime time television program complete with advertisements. Different versions of the videotape were used to evaluate the effects of a television program with and without alcohol scenes as crossed with the effects of three different types of commercials (i.e., beer, nonalcoholic beverages, food). Before and after viewing the videotape, subjects, who were led to believe that they were participating in two separate and unrelated sets of experimental procedures, completed several drinking questionnaires. Responses to one of the questionnaires provided an unobtrusive measure of self-reported ability to resist the urge to drink heavily. Results indicated that alcohol cues in a television program affected some alcohol abusers' perceived ability to resist the urge to drink heavily. In particular, those with higher alcohol dependence scores showed a...
Addictive Behaviors, 1992
m Several major literature reviews have concluded that alcohol abusers generally give valid self-... more m Several major literature reviews have concluded that alcohol abusers generally give valid self-reports when interviewed under certain conditions. Nevertheless. across all studies a small proportion of alcohol abusers" self-reports continue to be suspect. Sources of invalidity may relate to subject factors or to circumstances under which data are collected. One novel way of gaining information about conditions possibly affecting the accuracy ofalcohol abusers" selfreports is to ask the subjects themselves. In the present study, 208 alcohol abusers were asked about (a) how accurately different people they knew or lived with would report their (i.e., the subjects') drinking at different levels (e.g., abstinent. 1-4 drinks) compared to the subjects" own reports; (b) how accurate their own reports would be at different levels of ethanol consumption; and (c) how accurate their own reports would be when interviewed under different conditions (e.g.. by phone, their therapist, a researcher, their employer). The results are largely consistent with studies that have empirically examined the validity of alcohol abusers" self-reports. Suggestions for future research and evaluation are offered.
Treatment and Prevention of Alcohol Problems, 1987
ABSTRACT literature on behavioral treatment of alcohol problems from 1978-1983 is reviewed, inclu... more ABSTRACT literature on behavioral treatment of alcohol problems from 1978-1983 is reviewed, including a discussion of the theoretical underpinnings or rationales of the various treatments based on studies published from 1978 through 1983, the methodology and (to the extent possible) relative efficacy of behavioral and nonbehavioral treatments are compared (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 2000
Although social support has been repeatedly identi"ed as a strong correlate of recovery from alco... more Although social support has been repeatedly identi"ed as a strong correlate of recovery from alcohol problems, enhancing social support has seldom been a focus of treatment research. Married problem drinkers who were willing to have their spouses involved in their treatment were randomly assigned among two brief outpatient treatment conditions: directed social support (DS, n"28) and natural social support (NS, n"28). In both conditions the treatment in which the problem drinkers participated was an identical program of guided self-change, a cognitive-behavioral motivational intervention involving an assessment and four individual treatment sessions. Problem drinkers' spouses each attended two individual counseling sessions where they were informed about the counseling procedures. The conditions di!ered in that spouses in the DS group were encouraged to play an active role in helping their partner by being supportive and particularly by reacting to relapse episodes in a manner consistent with a relapse prevention model. One year follow-up found that participants in both groups improved signi"cantly from pretreatment to the end of treatment, and that the gains were maintained over follow-up. The two groups did not di!er signi"cantly from one another at any point in time. Possible explanations for the results include that (a) the baseline level of social support in this population may have created a ceiling e!ect, and (b) the prognosis for this population may be so positive that it is di$cult to demonstrate signi"cant enhancement of outcomes.
The International Journal of the Addictions, Aug 1, 1981
THe clinical value of frequent follow-up interviews as a form of continuing care for alcoholics w... more THe clinical value of frequent follow-up interviews as a form of continuing care for alcoholics was investigated. Sixty-seven male subjects who had participated in an inpatient alcohol research treatment study were followed up monthly for 2 years and interviewed in depth at the end of 2 years. Almost all subjects felt that the frequent follow-up contacts had functioned for them as continued supportive care. The possibility that frequent follow-up interviews may serve to consolidate and increase gains made in treatment is discussed.
The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Advances in Behaviour Research and Therapy, 1987
ABSTRACT
Behavior Therapy, 1992
Social cognitive theory predicts that persons will be more motivated to achieve goals that they s... more Social cognitive theory predicts that persons will be more motivated to achieve goals that they select. One hundred fifty eight alcohol abusers in outpatient treatment were asked about their goal selection preferences (i.e., self-selection, therapist-selection) and how likely they would be to achieve goals set by themselves or by a therapist. A clear majority indicated they preferred goal self-selection, and that they would be more likely to achieve self-set goals. Clients with more serious drinking problems were significantly more likely to favor therapist-set goals. Significantly more clients with at least some university education preferred self-selection of goals as compared to lesser educated clients.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 1996
The Alcohol Timeline Followback {TLFB) has been shown to be a psychometrically sound assessment i... more The Alcohol Timeline Followback {TLFB) has been shown to be a psychometrically sound assessment instrument for obtaining retrospective daily estimates of alcohol consumption. These evaluations, however, have been limited to face-to-face paper-andpencil interviews. As use of the TLFB method has increased, investigators have reported using the method to collect follow-up data by telephone. Also, as with many assessment instruments, a computerized version of the TLFB method has been developed. The psychometric characteristics of the TLFB method under these administration conditions have not been evaluated. This paper presents results from two studies showing that the Alcohol TLFB method can obtain reliable drinking data when administered over the telephone and by computer .
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 2014
Promoting Self-Change (PSC), a community-based intervention (Sobell et al., 2002) derived from re... more Promoting Self-Change (PSC), a community-based intervention (Sobell et al., 2002) derived from research on natural recoveries with alcohol abusers and clinical trials using a Guided Self-Change (GSC) treatment model for problem drinkers, took elements from the GSC model and offered it to individuals in the community who wanted to change their drinking on their own.
Substance Use & Misuse, 2001
Although many people recover from substance-use associated problems on their own, little is known... more Although many people recover from substance-use associated problems on their own, little is known about this phenomenon. The paper had two objectives: to use a new research method, computer-assisted content analysis, to understand alcohol and drug abusers ' perceived reasons for self-change and to undertake a comparative evaluation across substances and cultures to validate previous findings about subjective appraisal processes. Three studies of natural recoveries of alcohol and drug abusers in two countries conducted taperecorded interviews with 216 respondents. The taped responses were coded based on a content analytic dictionary approach using a computerized content analysis program. All three studies found several processes mediating the decision to change substance use. The computer content analysis confirmed a cognitive appraisal process regardless of the cultural setting or substance. The findings suggest that several procedures might have benefit in clinical interventions.
Journal of studies on alcohol, 1986
The drinking behavior of 96 male normal drinking college students was assessed after they viewed ... more The drinking behavior of 96 male normal drinking college students was assessed after they viewed a videotape of a popular prime-time television program complete with advertisements. Different versions of the videotape were used to evaluate the effects of a television program with and without alcohol scenes as crossed with the effects of three different types of advertisements (i.e., beer, nonalcoholic beverages and food). After viewing the videotape, the subjects, who were led to believe that they were participating in two separate and unrelated sets of experimental procedures, were asked to perform a taste rating of light beers, which actually provided an unobtrusive measure of their alcohol consumption. The results provided no support for the widely held assumption that drinking scenes in television programs or televised advertisements for alcoholic beverages precipitate increased drinking by viewers. This finding, however, must be considered in the context of the laboratory setti...
Journal of studies on alcohol, 1993
The self-reported ability of 96 alcohol abusers to resist the urge to drink heavily was assessed ... more The self-reported ability of 96 alcohol abusers to resist the urge to drink heavily was assessed after they viewed a videotape of a popular prime time television program complete with advertisements. Different versions of the videotape were used to evaluate the effects of a television program with and without alcohol scenes as crossed with the effects of three different types of commercials (i.e., beer, nonalcoholic beverages, food). Before and after viewing the videotape, subjects, who were led to believe that they were participating in two separate and unrelated sets of experimental procedures, completed several drinking questionnaires. Responses to one of the questionnaires provided an unobtrusive measure of self-reported ability to resist the urge to drink heavily. Results indicated that alcohol cues in a television program affected some alcohol abusers' perceived ability to resist the urge to drink heavily. In particular, those with higher alcohol dependence scores showed a...
Addictive Behaviors, 1992
m Several major literature reviews have concluded that alcohol abusers generally give valid self-... more m Several major literature reviews have concluded that alcohol abusers generally give valid self-reports when interviewed under certain conditions. Nevertheless. across all studies a small proportion of alcohol abusers" self-reports continue to be suspect. Sources of invalidity may relate to subject factors or to circumstances under which data are collected. One novel way of gaining information about conditions possibly affecting the accuracy ofalcohol abusers" selfreports is to ask the subjects themselves. In the present study, 208 alcohol abusers were asked about (a) how accurately different people they knew or lived with would report their (i.e., the subjects') drinking at different levels (e.g., abstinent. 1-4 drinks) compared to the subjects" own reports; (b) how accurate their own reports would be at different levels of ethanol consumption; and (c) how accurate their own reports would be when interviewed under different conditions (e.g.. by phone, their therapist, a researcher, their employer). The results are largely consistent with studies that have empirically examined the validity of alcohol abusers" self-reports. Suggestions for future research and evaluation are offered.
Treatment and Prevention of Alcohol Problems, 1987
ABSTRACT literature on behavioral treatment of alcohol problems from 1978-1983 is reviewed, inclu... more ABSTRACT literature on behavioral treatment of alcohol problems from 1978-1983 is reviewed, including a discussion of the theoretical underpinnings or rationales of the various treatments based on studies published from 1978 through 1983, the methodology and (to the extent possible) relative efficacy of behavioral and nonbehavioral treatments are compared (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 2000
Although social support has been repeatedly identi"ed as a strong correlate of recovery from alco... more Although social support has been repeatedly identi"ed as a strong correlate of recovery from alcohol problems, enhancing social support has seldom been a focus of treatment research. Married problem drinkers who were willing to have their spouses involved in their treatment were randomly assigned among two brief outpatient treatment conditions: directed social support (DS, n"28) and natural social support (NS, n"28). In both conditions the treatment in which the problem drinkers participated was an identical program of guided self-change, a cognitive-behavioral motivational intervention involving an assessment and four individual treatment sessions. Problem drinkers' spouses each attended two individual counseling sessions where they were informed about the counseling procedures. The conditions di!ered in that spouses in the DS group were encouraged to play an active role in helping their partner by being supportive and particularly by reacting to relapse episodes in a manner consistent with a relapse prevention model. One year follow-up found that participants in both groups improved signi"cantly from pretreatment to the end of treatment, and that the gains were maintained over follow-up. The two groups did not di!er signi"cantly from one another at any point in time. Possible explanations for the results include that (a) the baseline level of social support in this population may have created a ceiling e!ect, and (b) the prognosis for this population may be so positive that it is di$cult to demonstrate signi"cant enhancement of outcomes.
The International Journal of the Addictions, Aug 1, 1981
THe clinical value of frequent follow-up interviews as a form of continuing care for alcoholics w... more THe clinical value of frequent follow-up interviews as a form of continuing care for alcoholics was investigated. Sixty-seven male subjects who had participated in an inpatient alcohol research treatment study were followed up monthly for 2 years and interviewed in depth at the end of 2 years. Almost all subjects felt that the frequent follow-up contacts had functioned for them as continued supportive care. The possibility that frequent follow-up interviews may serve to consolidate and increase gains made in treatment is discussed.
The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Advances in Behaviour Research and Therapy, 1987
ABSTRACT