NCJ Number
154079
Journal
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Volume: 34 Issue: 1 Dated: (December 1993) Pages: 19-28
Date Published
1993
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This report describes the development of a questionnaire of cocaine craving modeled after the approach used for the formation of the Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (Tiffany and Drobes, 1991).
Abstract
Items for the questionnaire were generated to represent five distinct conceptualizations of cocaine craving: desire to use cocaine, anticipation of positive outcomes from cocaine use, anticipation of relief from cocaine withdrawal symptoms or relief from negative mood, intention and planning to use cocaine, and lack of control over use. Two versions of the craving questionnaire were constructed. The Now version had subjects rate their current craving for cocaine, and the General version required subjects to rate their average level of craving over the preceding week. These questionnaires were administered to 225 cocaine abusers who were not attempting to remain abstinent from cocaine. The results were analyzed with exploratory factor analyses to determine the factor structures of the questionnaires and to establish reliable scales-of-craving reports. Other variables potentially related to craving were also assessed to aid in the interpretation of factors and to provide indexes of concurrent validity. Factor analyses showed that a four-factor solution best described the item structure for both versions of the questionnaire. Higher order analyses indicated that each version was permeated by a single second-order factor. Factor scales derived for each primary and second-order factor had moderate to high reliabilities. Examination of item content, correlations of factors across versions, and external correlates of the factors suggested that both versions were represented by the same hierarchical factor structure. The theoretical and clinical implications of the results from these craving instruments are discussed. 2 tables and 26 references