Ambulatory assessment to advance the science of nondrug reward in addiction and recovery.

Experiencing nondrug reward can promote the transition from addiction to recovery, as indicated by animal and human studies; further, several effective behavioral interventions to promote addiction recovery directly or indirectly target nondrug reward. However, investigations of nondrug reward have occurred primarily within laboratories or clinics, which may limit generalizations about how nondrug reward experiences unfold in daily life. Understanding how daily contexts shape opportunities and appraisals of nondrug rewards and how nondrug reward experiences link to acute recovery outcomes could inform existing or new nondrug reward interventions delivered via mobile devices (e.g., smartphone). Ambulatory assessment, an approach for collecting a variety of self-report and passive data in daily life, is becoming routinely used among many behavioral health scientists; yet its potential has not been realized in studying nondrug reward. This article surveys the ways in which ambulatory assessment can advance the science of nondrug reward in addiction and recovery. This includes defining characteristics (e.g., hedonic versus eudaimonic), elucidating within-person dynamic aspects (e.g., momentary experiences of nondrug reward events and changes with time in recovery), and providing insight into real-world experiences of nondrug reward in socio-spatial contexts (e.g., dynamic exposure to drug and nondrug reward opportunities). Each area is discussed, including a section that describes challenges and opportunities (e.g., measuring "pure" instances of nondrug reward given nicotine use and intermittent substance use). The conclusion focuses on other considerations of studying nondrug reward with ambulatory assessment and on early development of some mobile health interventions that address nondrug reward to support recovery.