Participants were told that the purpose of the 5-week assessment was to study the effects of a medication on urges to drink, mood, and alcohol use. They were not given instructions to reduce or otherwise alter their drinking. After providing informed consent, participants completed the individual difference measures. Participants were then trained to use EMA on handheld computers and initiated their daily EMA recording, completing assessments multiple times per day. After two practice days, their EMA data was downloaded and reviewed with them for compliance. Participants were instructed to self-initiate assessments at the beginning and end of drinks when they occurred and to respond to all audible prompts immediately. The data collected over the next five days constituted the pre-medication baseline, which was the focus of the present study.
