Contingency Contracting in the Treatment of Alcohol Abuse

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Historically, contractual agreements to control alcohol consumption have been tied to religious and temperance organizations. Recently, however, contingency contracting has been developed and investigated as a behavior therapy technique. After outlining the standard components of a contingency contract, studies investigating contingency contracting with alcohol abusers are reviewed, and clinical and ethical considerations in contracting are discussed. The research investigations show that the technique has been applied successfully with different populations of alcohol abusers and various drinking and non-drinking target behaviors. Research has also studied important aspects of the contracts themselves and has begun to recognize the role of subject characteristics in contracting. The review suggests that contracting is an effective procedure that can influence drinking and related behaviors, but this technique is relatively new and more research is needed about its most effective components and the most applicable target behaviors.