Citation

Hatz LE, McCarty KN, Bartholow BD, McCarthy DM. Alcohol Clin. Exp. Res. 2018; 42(10): 2047-2053.

Affiliation

University of Missouri, 210 McAlester Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/acer.13856

PMID

30063813

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Attitudes towards driving after drinking are strongly predictive of drinking and driving behavior. This study tested working memory capacity (WMC) as a moderator of the association between attitudes and drinking and driving behavior. Consistent with dual process models of cognition, we hypothesized that the association between perceived danger and drinking and driving would be stronger for individuals with higher WMC.

METHODS: Participants (N=161) enrolled in larger alcohol administration study (Amlung et al., 2015) were randomly assigned to an alcoholic (n = 57), placebo (n = 52) or control (n = 52, not included) beverage condition. Past year frequency of driving after drinking and WMC were assessed at baseline. Attitudes were assessed by asking participants to rate the perceived danger of driving at their current level of intoxication twice on the ascending limb (AL1, AL2), at peak BrAC, and twice on the descending limb (DL1, DL2).

RESULTS: Analyses across the BrAC curve indicated that the hypothesized interaction was observed for the alcohol but not placebo condition. Analyses for each assessment point indicated that the interaction was significant for the ascending limb and peak BrAC. In the alcohol condition, for those higher in WMC, lower perceived dangerousness was strongly associated with increased driving after drinking (AL1: IRR = 5.87, Wald's χ² = 12.39, p =.006, 95% CI [2.19, 15.75]; AL2: IRR = 8.17, Wald's χ² = 11.39, p =.001, 95% CI [2.41, 27.66]; Peak: IRR = 5.11, Wald's χ² = 9.84, p =.002, 95% CI [1.84, 14.16]). Associations were not significant at low WMC.

CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that individuals higher in WMC are more likely to act consistently with their explicit attitudes towards drinking and driving.

FINDINGS may have implications for existing drinking and driving interventions and suggest the potential for novel interventions targeting implicit associations or WMC. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Alcohol Administration; Drinking and Driving; Dual Process Models; Explicit Attitudes; Working Memory Capacity