Citation

Trager BM, Mallett KA, Turrisi R, Sell NM, Hultgren BA. Addict. Behav. 2018; 89: 172-177.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 45(th) St. NE Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.10.001

PMID

30316143

Abstract

The present study used a prospective longitudinal design to examine whether willingness to experience negative alcohol-related consequences mediated the effects of personality on consequences (e.g., blacking out, getting into a fight, and regretted sex). Students (N = 2024) were assessed at three time points: fall semester of the students' first year in college (baseline), 6-months post-baseline, and one-year post-baseline. Personality constructs were assessed at baseline (i.e., impulsivity, sensation seeking, self-regulation), willingness to experience negative alcohol-related consequences was assessed at baseline and 6-months, and negative alcohol-related consequences were examined at baseline and one-year post-baseline. A structural path model was used to examine if willingness mediated the effects of personality on consequences. Baseline drinking was included as a covariate in the model.

RESULTS demonstrated willingness to experience consequences significantly mediated the effects of impulsivity, sensation seeking, and self-regulation on consequences.

FINDINGS from this study support the idea that consequence-specific cognitions, such as willingness, can explain changes in consequences associated with personality. This suggests that intervention efforts aimed at reducing negative alcohol-related consequences could benefit from the inclusion of consequence-specific cognitions, personality (e.g., impulsivity, sensation seeking, and self-regulation), and drinking.

Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Alcohol-related consequences; Impulsivity; Self-regulation; Sensation seeking; Willingness