Evaluating the relationship between explicit and implicit drinking identity centrality and hazardous drinking

Abstract

Introduction Drinking identity strength (how strongly one views oneself as a drinker) is a promising risk factor for hazardous drinking. A critical next step is to investigate whether the centrality of drinking identity (i.e., the relative importance of drinking vs. other identity domains, like well-being, relationships, education) also plays a role. Thus, we developed explicit and implicit measures of drinking identity centrality and evaluated them as predictors of hazardous drinking after controlling for explicit drinking identity strength. Methods Two studies were conducted (Ns = 360 and 450, respectively). Participants, who self-identified as full-time students, completed measures of explicit identity strength, explicit and implicit centrality, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Study 1a evaluated two variants of the implicit measure (short- vs. long-format of the Multi-category Implicit Association Test); Study 1b only included the long form and also assessed alcohol consumption. Results In Study 1a, implicit and explicit centrality measures were positively and significantly associated with AUDIT scores after controlling for explicit drinking identity strength. There were no significant differences in the implicit measure variants, but the long format had slightly higher internal consistency. In Study 1b, results replicated for explicit, but not implicit, centrality. Conclusions These studies provide preliminary evidence that drinking identity centrality may be an important factor for predicting hazardous drinking. Future research should improve its measurement and evaluate implicit and explicit centrality in experimental and longitudinal studies.

Is marijuana identity associated with marijuana use and consequences? An examination of direct and interactive associations

“…The current study extends past research examining the role of social identity in predicting marijuana use (Neighbors et al, 2013) and replicates research in the alcohol literature (Lindgren, Ramirez, Namaky, et al, 2016) by demonstrating that marijuana identity is associated with marijuana use after controlling for a variety of other non-identity factors. The findings suggest that our beliefs about whether marijuana use is an important aspect of who we are may be more important in predicting marijuana use than perceptions of whether other people use marijuana or approve of this behavior.…”

“…The results from the current study add to the literature by highlighting the importance of examining marijuana identity as a correlate of marijuana use and marijuana consequences. Consistent with previous calls to develop interventions aimed at changing substance use identities (e.g., Lindgren, Ramirez, Namaky, et al, 2016;Tombor et al, 2015), the current findings suggest that interventions targeting marijuana identity may be a useful target for future research. For instance, this could involve helping students construct new or strengthening existing non-marijuana related identities.…”

“…Drawing from the alcohol literature, alcohol identity has been found to be associated with alcohol-related outcomes, even after controlling for the effects of non-identity correlates of alcohol outcomes (Lindgren, Ramirez, Namaky, Olin, & Teachman, 2016). In Lindgren, Ramirez, Olin and Neighbors' (2016) study, drinking identity was found to be prospectively associated with alcohol use and problems, even after controlling for injunctive norms, descriptive norms, alcohol expectancies, drinking motives, and implicit identity (e.g., the strength of the association between the self and the concept of drinker in one's memory).…”

Hazardous drinking has unique relationships with implicit and explicit drinking identity

“…Participants’ explicit drinking identity was assessed using two semantic differential questions (Lindgren, Ramirez, Namaky, Olin, & Teachman, 2016; Werntz et al, 2016) which are designed to mirror the relative structure of the BIAT (see Greenwald et al, 1998; Ranganath & Nosek, 2008). Individuals rated “to what extent do you think of yourself as a drinker or abstainer?” and “to what extent do you think of others as drinkers or abstainers?” on a 9-point Likert-type scale from “completely as drinking” to “completely as abstaining.” Scores were calculated by subtracting participants’ response to the “others” question from their response to the “self” question.…”

A longitudinal evaluation of the role of alcohol self‐concept in alcohol use, motives, negative affect, and alcohol‐related problems among emerging adults

“…Self‐concept is associated with alcohol use when measured by explicit measures and implicit measures . Similarly, self‐concept is associated with alcohol‐related problems when measured explicitly and implicitly . Indeed, self‐concept can be used as a marker of more severe drinking patterns …”