AbstractsPsychology

Can Performance-Based Measures Predict Binge Drinking? An Empirical Investigation

by Jason Menting




Institution: Xavier University
Department: Psychology
Degree: Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)
Year: 2013
Keywords: Social Psychology; binge drinking; impulsive personality; college students; persistence
Record ID: 2015886
Full text PDF: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=xavier1395671281


Abstract

Heavy alcohol consumption and binge drinking are common among college students and can have adverse consequences (Wechsler, Lee, Kuo, & Lee, 2000). As such, it is important to identify those at the highest risk of consuming dangerous amounts of alcohol in order to implement preventative intervention strategies. The current study examined the predictive utility of performance-based measures of persistence, both physical (cold pressor) and psychological (mirror-tracing and anagram solution) in identifying those prone to binge drink and consume large quantities in a sample (N = 139) of college students. Individual difference factors, including affect regulation, distress tolerance, and impulsivity, were examined as possible mediators. The majority of the sample used alcohol (76.3%) and 54.0% reported binge drinking. Contrary to prediction, all forms of task persistence were unrelated to binge drinking or amount of alcohol consumed; however, lower persistence on the mirror-tracing task predicted meeting modified DSM-IV criteria for alcohol abuse (p = .03), suggesting that task persistence may be more related to alcohol problems rather than amount of alcohol consumed. Affect regulation and distress tolerance showed no direct effects. Impulsivity showed a modest direct effect but no indirect effects and did not mediate the observed relation between task persistence and problem alcohol use.