Citation

Kelly AB, Masterman PW, Young RM. Addict. Behav. 2011; 36(1-2): 148-151.

Affiliation

Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.08.025

PMID

20869814

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Alcohol-related implicit (preconscious) cognitive processes are established and unique predictors of alcohol use, but most research in this area has focused on alcohol-related implicit cognition and anxiety. This study extends this work into the area of depressed mood by testing a cognitive model that combines traditional explicit (conscious and considered) beliefs, implicit alcohol-related memory associations (AMAs), and self-reported drinking behavior. METHOD: Using a sample of 106 university students, depressed mood was manipulated using a musical mood induction procedure immediately prior to completion of implicit then explicit alcohol-related cognition measures. A bootstrapped two-group (weak/strong expectancies of negative affect and tension reduction) structural equation model was used to examine how mood changes and alcohol-related memory associations varied across groups. RESULTS: Expectancies of negative affect moderated the association of depressed mood and AMAs, but there was no such association for tension reduction expectancy. CONCLUSION: Subtle mood changes may unconsciously trigger alcohol-related memories in vulnerable individuals. Results have implications for addressing subtle fluctuations in depressed mood among young adults at risk of alcohol problems.

Language: en