Wendy D. Donlin, Todd W. Knealing, Mick Needham, Conrad J. Wong, & Kenneth Silverman. (2008)
Attendance rates in a workplace predict subsequent outcome of employment-based reinforcement of cocaine abstinence in methadone patients.
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,
41, 499-516.
This study assessed whether attendance rates in a workplace predicted
subsequent outcome of employment-based reinforcement of cocaine
abstinence. Unemployed adults in Baltimore methadone programs who
used cocaine (N = 111) could work in a workplace for 4 hr every weekday
and earn $10.00 per hour in vouchers for 26 weeks. During an induction
period, participants provided urine samples but could work independent of
their urinalysis results. After the induction period, participants had to provide
urinalysis evidence of cocaine abstinence to work and maintain maximum
pay. A multiple regression analysis showed that induction period attendance
was independently associated with urinalysis evidence of cocaine abstinence
under the employment-based abstinence reinforcement contingency. Induction
period attendance may measure the reinforcing value of employment and could be
used to guide the improvement of employment-based abstinence reinforcement.
DESCRIPTORS: abstinence reinforcement, cocaine addiction, contingency management, employment, methadone