Wayne State University
The goal of this pilot clinical trial is to learn whether adding a brief letter-writing exercise, grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), to a brief motivational intervention (BMI) for alcohol use is feasible and acceptable, and to obtain preliminary estimates of its effects on psychological needs and motivation among adults who drink heavily and sometimes think about or wish they could cut back on their drinking. The main questions it aims to answer are: (1) Is it feasible to integrate the letter-writing task into an SDT-informed BMI (recruitment, session completion, letter completion, retention)? (2) Do participants rate the letter-writing task as acceptable, appropriate, and feasible? (3) Compared with a neutral writing task, is the letter-writing task associated with higher perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness, perceived competence for reducing drinking, and autonomous motivation? Researchers will compare a BMI plus a neutral writing task with the same BMI plus the letter-writing task. Participants will complete a brief online screening survey; take part in a single 45-60-minute Zoom session that includes questionnaires, a 25-30-minute motivational interview, random assignment to either write an advice letter to another participant who has also thought about reducing their drinking or copy a neutral paragraph, and post-session questionnaires; and complete a 10-15-minute online follow-up survey about motivation, perceived competence, and alcohol use approximately one month later.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 years or older * Resides in the United States * Meets the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism heavy-drinking criteria in the past month * Answers Yes to "Do you sometimes think about reducing or wish you could reduce your alcohol use?" * Has internet access and a device capable of video conferencing via Zoom Exclusion Criteria: * Failure to meet the inclusion criteria
Participants will receive a brief, one-on-one, motivational intervention delivered via Zoom by a doctoral student in clinical psychology.
Immediately after the brief motivational intervention, participants write a brief advice letter to another study participant who has also thought about reducing their drinking but sometimes struggles with motivation. Prompts target autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
Immediately after the brief motivational intervention, participants copy a technical paragraph on office supply inventory management that matches the letter-writing task in length and duration.