Direct and Indirect Effects of Impulsivity Traits on Drinking and Driving in Young Adults

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective: Impulsivity is strongly associated with alcohol-related risk-taking behavior, and this association has been found to be mediated by alcohol cognitions. The current study expanded this literature by comparing the relative association of distinct impulsivity traits with a specifi c risky behavior-drinking and driving. We then tested whether drinking-and-driving expectancies uniquely mediated this relation over and above other cognitions about alcohol and drinking and driving. Method: College student drivers (n = 816; 53.6% women) completed a paper-and-pencil survey in small groups. Self-report measures assessed alcohol use, impulsivity traits, alcohol expectancies, drinkingand-driving cognitions (i.e., expectancies, attitudes, beliefs), and drinking and driving. Results: Although all impulsivity traits were correlated with drinking and driving, only urgency uniquely contributed to drinking and driving. Indirect effect tests indicated that drinking-and-driving convenience expectancies partially mediated this association as well as that between (lack of) perseverance and drinking and driving. These results remained signifi cant after controlling for alcohol expectancies and other drinking-and-driving cognitions. Conclusions: These fi ndings highlight the importance of distinguishing among impulsivity traits to improve theoretical models of the processes by which personality leads to specifi c alcohol-related consequences. In addition, results extend previous research by providing evidence for the unique importance of expectancies regarding the convenience of drinking and driving over and above more global alcohol expectancies and other drinking-and-driving cognitions. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 73, 794-803, 2012)

Drinking-and-Driving–Related Cognitions Mediate the Relationship Between Alcohol Demand and Alcohol-Impaired Driving

“…Our results are consistent with partial mediation, suggesting that elevated demand confers unique risk for drinking and driving, independent of the drinking-and-driving-related cognitions we examined. More generally, these findings are consistent with the broader literature suggesting that cognitive factors serve to connect distal risk factors to engagement in risky behaviors such as drinking and driving (e.g., LaBrie et al, 2012;Treloar et al, 2012). The finding that drinking drivers have greater perceived safe driving limits is consistent with the limited number of studies in this area (Gulliver & Begg, 2004;Royal, 2003).…”

“…have been linked to engagement in drinking and driving, including favorable attitudes toward drinking and driving (McCarthy et al, 2007;McCarthy & Pedersen, 2009), knowledge of drinking-and-driving laws (Sloan et al, 2014), and impulsivity (Rossow, 2008;Sloan & Eldred, 2015;Sloan et al, 2014;Treloar et al, 2012). Although this research has advanced our understanding of risk factors for drinking and driving, there is a need for more integrative models specifying the determinants of drinking and driving in order to ultimately improve interventions.…”

“…For instance, individuals are more likely to engage in drinking and driving if they perceive drinking and driving as less dangerous (Amlung et al, 2014;Bingham et al, 2007;Morris et al, 2014), believe that their peers are more accepting of drinking and driving (Bingham et al, 2007;LaBrie et al, 2012), or have higher perceived alcohol limits for driving safely (Gulliver & Begg, 2004;Royal, 2003). Theoretical models of risk behavior such as the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991), and models specific to alcohol-related behaviors such as the Acquired Preparedness Model (Corbin et al, 2011;Settles et al, 2014), posit that these factors reflect a common pathway by which distal risk factors (e.g., impulsivity) converge to influence engagement in specific behaviors, including drinking and driving (LaBrie et al, 2012;Treloar et al, 2012). …”

Romanian young people’s drinking habits

“…In our study the percentage of the drunk drivers were calculated from the whole test groups, which could make some difference between the results [33].…”

Effects of acute alcohol tolerance on perceptions of danger and willingness to drive after drinking

“…Empirical studies have demonstrated that perceiving drinking and driving as more dangerous is associated with reduced odds of doing so (Grube and Voas 1996; McCarthy et al 2007; Bingham et al 2007; McCarthy and Pedersen 2009; Fairlie et al 2010). Perceived risk of drinking and driving also uniquely predicts driving after drinking (Bingham et al 2007), and has been found to mediate the influence of impulsive personality traits on drinking and driving (Treloar et al 2012). Together, this research suggests that perceived danger is an important precursor to the intention to drive after drinking.…”