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| How Much is it Worth to You? Behavioral Economic Demand Analyses |
| Saturday, May 24, 2025 |
| 5:00 PM–5:50 PM |
| Convention Center, Street Level, 143 A-C |
| Area: CBM/EAB; Domain: Translational |
| Chair: Alexandra Knerr (University of Florida) |
| CE Instructor: Alexandra Knerr, M.S. |
| Abstract: Behavioral economic demand is based on the Law of Demand: As the cost of a commodity increases, consumption decreases. Demand indices, including intensity (consumption when the commodity is free), breakpoint (price at which consumption ceases), and elasticity (sensitivity of consumption to price), can be used to compare demand across individuals, commodities, and conditions. Hypothetical purchase tasks have been used to assess demand for a wide range of commodities including drugs of abuse, foods, internet access, and vaccines. We will present data from three studies that used hypothetical purchase tasks to investigate demand for different commodities. The first study assessed demand for social interaction in the form of time spent with another person across three social distances. The second study explored the cross-commodity relationship between electronic cigarette puffs and access to social media among young adults. The third study examined how baseline cigarette demand is predictive of outcomes in a psilocybin-assisted smoking cessation trial. Presenters will discuss the practical implications of both the tasks used and study outcomes. |
| Instruction Level: Intermediate |
| Keyword(s): Behavioral Economics, Demand, Nicotine, Social Reinforcement |
| Target Audience: Basic understanding of behavioral economic demand. |
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify how demand for social interaction is impacted by social distance
2. Discuss how demand for commodities can interact and what that interaction looks like for vaping and social media
3. Describe how baseline demand for cigarettes can predict psilocybin-assisted smoking cessation outcomes |
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| A Behavioral Economic Assessment of Demand for Social Interaction |
| (Basic Research) |
| LINDSEY ANNE IVES (Florida State University), Jesse Dallery (University of Florida) |
| Abstract: Social interaction is crucial across development. Both social isolation and loneliness are linked to various physical and mental health issues, including premature mortality. There is abundant evidence that social contact can act as a potent reinforcer across a broad range of species. Behavioral economic demand methods, such as hypothetical purchase tasks, provide a valuable framework for quantifying the reinforcing value of social interactions. We developed a novel Social Interaction Purchase Task to assess demand for face-to-face social interaction. One hundred eighty-six Prolific participants completed the task at three social distances. Aggregate data followed a prototypical demand curve, with reduced intensity and increased elasticity as social distance increased. Atypical purchasing patterns, such as maximum consumption at all prices, zero consumption at all prices, and consumption only at free, were further related to social distance. We also observed correlations between demand indices and social engagement metrics, providing evidence of construct validity. The impact of demographic factors, such as gender and mental health diagnoses, are discussed. |
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| Behavioral Economic Relationships Between Vaping and Social Media |
| (Basic Research) |
| ALEXANDRA KNERR (University of Florida), Jesse Dallery (University of Florida) |
| Abstract: Approximately 11% of young adults use e-cigarettes containing highly addictive nicotine. Social media exposure is linked to an increased risk of e-cigarette use among young adults. Conversely, social media could be a form of social support, which is often used as an alternative source of reinforcement in substance use interventions. E-cigarettes and social media access may be complementary, substitutable, or independent commodities, or the relationship may differ for different individuals. This study used hypothetical purchase tasks to explore individual differences in the co-use of electronic cigarettes and social media. One hundred young adults were recruited through Prolific. Participants completed single-commodity and cross-commodity purchase tasks for electronic cigarette puffs and minutes of access to social media. Of the 74 systematic data sets, seven showed a complementary relationship between the two commodities, seven showed a substitutable relationship, and 60 showed an independent relationship. This study illustrates how cross-commodity purchase tasks may help identify alternative reinforcers for substance use. |
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Behavioral Economic Demand at Baseline Predicts Successful Psilocybin-Assisted Cigarette Smoking Cessation at Six Months |
| (Applied Research) |
| GIDEON P. NAUDÉ (Johns Hopkins University), Albert Garcia-Romeu (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), Peter Hendricks (University of Alabama at Birmingham), Matthew W. Johnson (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) |
| Abstract: Emerging evidence suggests that psilocybin, a hallucinogen with a mechanism of action mediated by serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor agonism, can be an effective clinical component in cigarette smoking cessation treatment. Efforts to predict psilocybin-assisted cessation treatment outcomes have yet to use tools of behavioral economics to model value and motivation associated with cigarette smoking. Thirty-nine treatment-resistant tobacco cigarette smokers (mean age of 49; 46% female, 90% White) drawn from a larger randomized controlled trial received a single 30 mg/70 kg psilocybin session combined with a 13-week cognitive behavioral therapy program for smoking cessation. Participants completed a hypothetical Cigarette Purchase Task at baseline. Six months from the targeted quit date participants provided breath carbon monoxide, urine cotinine, and self-report measures to verify smoking status. At 6-month follow-up, 21 (53.8%) participants showed biologically-verified 7-day point-prevalence abstinence. No serious adverse events were attributed to psilocybin. Logistic regression indicated higher amplitude (a composite variable representing demand intensity and maximum expenditure on cigarettes) derived from the baseline purchase task significantly predicted abstinence at 6-month follow-up (b=-1.94, SEb=0.77, OR=0.14 [95% CI=0.03–0.65], p=.012). These data suggest behavioral economic indices may complement measures more established in the psychedelic literature in predicting success in psilocybin-assisted smoking cessation. |
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