Abstract
Although incentive-based treatments can promote a range of health-related outcomes, including smoking cessation and weight loss, researchers have found that they have poor acceptability under some conditions. The present studies add to the literature by examining the current acceptability of incentive-based treatments using discrete choice experiments in which low acceptability was previously demonstrated. In Study 1, we assessed the acceptability of financial and grocery voucher incentives compared to standard treatments for smoking cessation and weight loss (n = 51). In Study 2, we assessed the acceptability of deposit contracts and financial incentives versus standard treatments (n = 50). Acceptability was measured as the proportion of participants who chose incentive-based treatments over standard treatments, evaluated across a range of effectiveness levels (10–40%). In both studies, financial incentives and standard treatments were equivalently acceptable when stated effectiveness was equal. Deposit contract acceptability was also equivalent to financial incentives and standard treatments at equal effectiveness levels. Last, the acceptability of all incentives increased as stated effectiveness increased. Our findings correspond with some recent evaluations indicating that incentive-based treatments may be more acceptable than previously shown. Future work should explore methods to increase their adoption across diverse stakeholders and settings.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amazon Mechanical Turk. (2018). Amazon Mechanical Turk: Human intelligence though an API. Retrieved from https://www.mturk.com/
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). (2017a). Quitting smoking. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/cessation/quitting/index.htm
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). (2017b). Fast facts. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fast_facts/index.htm
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). (2017c). Obesity and overweight. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/obesity-overweight.htm
Charity Miles. (n.d.). Charity miles: Move with purpose. Earn money for charity. Retrieved from http://www.charitymiles.org/
Clark, M. D., Determann, D., Petrou, S., Moro, D., & de Bekker-Grob, E. W. (2014). Discrete choice experiments in health economics: A review of the literature. PharmacoEconomics, 32(9), 883–902. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40273-014-0170-x.
Dallery, J., & Glenn, I. M. (2005). Effects of an internet-based voucher reinforcement program for smoking abstinence: A feasibility study. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 38(3), 349–357. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2005.150-04.
Dallery, J., Meredith, S., & Glenn, I. M. (2008). A deposit contract method to deliver abstinence reinforcement for cigarette smoking. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 41(4), 609–615. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.2008.41-609.
Dallery, J., Raiff, B. R., & Grabinski, M. J. (2013). Internet-based contingency management to promote smoking cessation: A randomized controlled study. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 46(4), 750–764. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.89.
de Bekker-Grob, E. W., Donkers, B., Jonker, M. F., & Stolk, E. A. (2015). Sample size requirements for discrete-choice experiments in healthcare: A practical guide. Patient, 8(5), 373–384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40271-015-0118-z.
de Bekker-Grob, E. W., Ryan, M., & Gerard, K. (2012). Discrete choice experiments in health economics: A reivew of the literature. Health Economics, 21(2), 145–172. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.
DietBet. (2017). DietBet: A WayBetter Company™. Retrieved from https://www.dietbet.com/
Donlin Washington, W., McMullen, D., & Devoto, A. (2016). A matched deposit contract treatment to increase physical activity in underactive and sedentary adults. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 2(2), 101–115. https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000069.
Finkelstein, E. A., Linnan, L. A., Tate, D. F., & Birken, B. E. (2007). A pilot study testing the effect of different levels of financial incentives on weight loss among overweight employees. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 49(9), 981–989. https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0b013e31813c6dcb.
Fiore, M. C., Jaen, C. R., Baker, T., Bailey, W. C., Benowitz, N. L., Curry, S. E. E. A., ... & Henderson, P. N. (2008). Treating tobacco use and dependence: 2008 update. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Giles, E. L., Becker, F., Ternent, L., Sniehotta, F. F., McColl, E., & Adams, J. (2016). Acceptability of financial incentives for health behaviours: A discrete choice experiment. PLoS One, 11(6), e0157403. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157403.
Giles, E. L., Robalino, S., McColl, E., Sniehotta, F. F., & Adams, J. (2014). The effectiveness of financial incentives for health behaviour change: Systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One, 9(3), e90347. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0090347.
Giles, E. L., Robalino, S., Sniehotta, F. F., Adams, J., & McColl, E. (2015). Acceptability of financial incentives for encouraging uptake of healthy behaviours: A critical review using systematic methods. Preventive Medicine, 73, 145–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.12.029.
Halpern, S. D., French, B., Small, D. S., Saulsgiver, K., Harhay, M. O., Audrain-McGovern, J., …, Volpp, K. G. (2015). Randomized trial of four financial-incentive programs for smoking cessation. New England Journal of Medicine, 372(22), 2108–2117. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1414293.
Harris, M. B., & Bruner, C. G. (1971). A comparison of a self-control and a contract procedure for weight control. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 9(4), 347–354. https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7967(71)90047-7.
Jarvis, B. P., & Dallery, J. (2017). Internet-based self-tailored deposit contracts to promote smoking reduction and abstinence. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50(2), 189–205. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.377.
Jeffery, R. W., Forster, J. L., French, S. A., Kelder, S. H., Lando, H. A., McGovern, P. G., …, Baxter, J. E. (1993). The healthy worker project: A work-site treatment for weight control and smoking cessation. American Journal of Public Health, 83(3), 395–401. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.83.3.395.
Jeffery, R. W., Gerber, W. M., Rosenthal, B. S., & Lindquist, R. A. (1983). Monetary contracts in weight control: Effectiveness of group and individual contracts of varying size. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51(2), 242–248. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.51.2.242.
Krucien, N., Gafni, A., & Pelletier-Fleury, N. (2015). Empricial testing of the external validity of a discrete choice experiment to determine preferred treatment option: The case of sleep apnea. Health Economics, 24(8), 951–965. https://doi.org/10.1002/hec.3076.
Kurti, A. N., Davis, D., Redner, R., Jarvis, B., Zvorsky, I., Keith, D. R., ..., Higgins, S. T. (2016). A review of the literature on remote monitoring technology in incentive-based interventions for health-related behavior change. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 2(2), 128–152. https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000067.
Lancaster, K. (1966). A new approach to consumer theory. Journal of Political Economy, 74(2), 132–157.
Lancsar, E., & Louviere, J. (2008). Conducting discrete choice experiments to inform healthcare decision making: A user’s guide. PharmacoEconomics, 26(8), 661–677. https://doi.org/10.2165/00019053-200826080-00004.
Leahey, T., & Rosen, J. (2014). DietBet: A web-based program that uses social gaming and financial incentives to promote weight loss. Journal of Medical Internet Research: Serious Games, 2(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.2196/games.2987.
Louviere, J. J., Pihlens, D., & Carson, R. (2011). Design of discrete choice experiments: A discussion of issues that matter in future applied research. Journal of Choice Modelling, 4(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1755-5345(13)70016-2.
Mohammadi, T., Bansback, N., Marra, F., Khakban, A., Campbell, J. R., FitzGerald, J. M., ..., Marra, C. A. (2017). Testing the external validity of a discrete choice experiment method: An application to latent tuberculosis infection treatment. Value in Health, 20(7), 969–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jval.2017.04.007.
Musiat, P., Goldstone, P., & Tarrier, N. (2014). Understanding the acceptability of e-mental health: Attitudes and expectations towards computerised self-help treatments for mental health problems. BMC Psychiatry, 14(109), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-14-109.
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (n.d.). Principles of drug addiction treatment: A research-based guide (3rd ed.). Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment-research-based-guide-third-edition/evidence-based-approaches-to-drug-addiction-treatment/behavioral-0
Pact. (2015). Pact: Commit to you. Retrieved from http://www.pactapp.com/
Petry, N. M. (2011). Contingency management: What it is and why psychiatrists should want to use it. The Psychiatrist, 35(5), 161–163. https://doi.org/10.1192/pb.bp.110.031831.
Promberger, M., Brown, R. C. H., Ashcroft, R. E., & Marteau, T. M. (2011). Acceptability of financial incentives to improve health outcomes in UK and US samples. Journal of Medical Ethics, 37(11), 682–687. https://doi.org/10.1136/jme.2010.039347.
Promberger, M., Dolan, P., & Marteau, T. M. (2012). “Pay them if it works”: Discrete choice experiments on the acceptability of financial incentives to change health related behaviour. Social Science & Medicine, 75(12), 2509–2514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.09.033.
Public Health England. (n.d.). Contingency management in drug treatment. Retrieved from http://www.nta.nhs.uk/CMPage.aspx
QuitBet. (2016). QuitBet: A whole new way to quit! Retrieved from http://www.quit.bet/.
Raiff, B. R., Jarvis, B. P., Turturici, M. B. S., & Dallery, J. (2013). Acceptability of an internet-based contingency management intervention for smoking cessation: Views of smokers, nonsmokers, and healthcare professionals. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 21(3), 204–213. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032451.
Rakotonarivo, O. S., Schaafsma, M., & Hockley, N. (2016). A systematic review of the reliability and validity of discrete choice experiments in valuing non-market environmental goods. Journal of Environmental Management, 183, 98–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.08.032.
Ryan, M., & Gerard, K. (2003). Using discrete choice experiments to value health care programmes: Current practice and future research reflections. Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, 2(1), 55–64.
Salloum, R. G., Shenkman, E. A., Louviere, J. J., & Chambers, D. A. (2017). Application of discrete choice experiments to enhance stakeholder engagement as a strategy for advancing implementation: A systematic review. Implementation Science, 12(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-017-0675-8.
StepBet. (2017). StepBet: Walk more. Win money! Retrieved from: https://www.stepbet.com/
stickK.com. (2017). stickK: Set your goals and achieve them! Retrieved from http://www.stickk.com/.
Sykes-Muskett, B. J., Prestwich, A., Lawton, R. J., & Armitage, C. J. (2015). The utility of monetary contingency contracts for weight loss: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychology Review, 7199, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2015.1030685.
Tobacco Use & Dependence Clinical Practice Guideline Panel, Staff, & Consortium Representatives. (2000). A clinical practice guideline for treating tobacco use and dependence: A US public health service report. Journal of the American Medical Association, 283(24), 3244–3254. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.283.24.3244.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2017). Treatment. Retrieved from https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/treatment
Volpp, K. G., John, L. K., Troxel, A. B., Norton, L., Fassbender, J., & Loewenstein, G. (2008). Financial incentive-based approaches for weight loss: A randomized trial. Journal of the American Medical Association, 300(22), 2631–2637. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2008.80.
Funding
Funding for these studies was provided internally by the Department of Psychology, University of Florida.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
Lisa M. Stedman-Falls, Jesse Dallery, and Ramzi G. Salloum each declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Ethical Approval
All procedures involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the University of Florida’s Institutional Review Board and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
Informed Consent
Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stedman-Falls, L.M., Dallery, J. & Salloum, R.G. Discrete Choice Experiments on The Acceptability of Monetary-Based Health Treatments: A Replication and Extension to Deposit Contracts. Psychol Rec 68, 501–512 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-018-0296-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40732-018-0296-x