Experimental effect of positive urgency on negative outcomes from risk taking and on increased alcohol consumption.

Abstract

The current pair of experimental studies sought to further validate the role of positive urgency (acting rashly when in an extreme positive emotional state) as a risk factor for impulsive and maladaptive behavior. Previous research has supported the use of emotion-based dispositions to rash action in predicting a wide range of maladaptive acts. However, that research was conducted in the field and relied on self-reported behavior, thus lacking tight experimental controls and direct observation of risky behaviors. In the two experimental studies described here, we found that, among college students, (1) positive urgency significantly predicted negative outcomes on a risktaking task following a positive mood manipulation (n = 94), and (2) positive urgency significantly predicted increases in beer consumption following positive mood induction (n = 33). Positive urgency's role was above and beyond previously identified risk factors; these findings, combined with prior cross-sectional and longitudinal field studies, provide support for the role of positive urgency in rash action. Experimental effect of positive urgency on negative outcomes from risk taking and on increased alcohol consumptionRecent research has shown that impulsive behavior can be predicted by several different personality traits, including sensation seeking, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, negative urgency (impulsive action when in an extreme negative mood), and positive urgency (impulsive action when in an extreme positive mood: Correspondence concerning this article may be addressed to Melissa A. Cyders, melissa.cyders@gmail.com. Publisher's Disclaimer: The following manuscript is the final accepted manuscript. It has not been subjected to the final copyediting, fact-checking, and proofreading required for formal publication. It is not the definitive, publisher-authenticated version. The American Psychological Association and its Council of Editors disclaim any responsibility or liabilities for errors or omissions of this manuscript version, any version derived from this manuscript by NIH, or other third parties. The published version is available at www.apa.org/pubs/journals/adb NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptPsychol Addict Behav. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2011 September 1. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript Cyders & Smith, 2008a;Cyders, Smith, Spillane, Fischer, Annus, & Peterson, 2007;Whiteside & Lynam, 2001). One novel finding in this research has been that positive urgency is cross-sectionally and prospectively predictive of negative consequences from a wide range of rash acts, as described further below Cyders & Smith, 2008a;Cyders & Smith, 2008b;Cyders & Smith, 2010;Cyders, Flory, Rainer, & Smith, 2009; Settles, Cyders, & Smith, in press;Zapolski, Cyders, & Smith, 2009). It appears that even though trait-like positive affectivity contributes to reduced risk (Wills, Sandy, Yaeger, 2000), there are individual differences in the tendency to respond to extremely posi...

Positive affective states and alcohol consumption: The moderating role of trait positive urgency

“…While the mood induction used in Cyders et al (2010) appeared to be designed to induce a high activation positive mood, it was notable in the second study that a measure of elation derived from the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson et al, 1988) showed a non-significant decrease from pre to post induction. Given the centrality of aroused emotion to the urgency construct (Cyders and Smith, 2008), it may be of benefit to specifically manipulate level of arousal in a positive mood induction, as suggested by others (Treloar and McCarthy, 2012).…”

“…The urgency traits have been shown to strongly predict a number of potentially risky behaviours Zapolski et al, 2009), and to also potentiate the relationship between affect and maladaptive actions (e.g. Cyders et al, 2010;Simons et al, 2010). Alcohol use has been one such potentially risky behaviour that has been examined in relation to the urgency traits.…”

“…As far as we are aware, only one previous paper has done this. Across two studies, Cyders et al (2010) examined the effects of a positive mood manipulation on alcohol consumption and risk taking as a function of positive urgency. In the second of these studies, they showed that positive urgency was the only UPPS facet to significantly predict increases in alcohol consumption, using a bogus beer taste test method, after a positive mood induction, controlling for the amount of beer consumed after a neutral mood induction.…”

Functional and Structural MRI Studies on Impulsiveness: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorders

“…A variety of linear regression analyses based upon several selfreport questionnaire studies including a range of cognitive-emotional personal attributes have indicated that impulsiveness is predicted by negative affect, amotivation and depressiveness and counterpredicted by positive affect and internal locus of control in healthy volunteers (Palomo et al, 2008a, b; but see also Miller et al, 2009). Cyders et al have discussed the influence of positive urgency, acting rashly under extreme positive affect, and negative urgency as central risk factors for impulsive and maladaptive behavior (see also Cyders and Smith, 2008a, b;Cyders et al, , 2010Zapolsky et al, 2009). …”

La asociación entre la exposición a la violencia, alcohol y drogas en el perfil psicosocial de adolescentes México-Americanos de bajos recursos

“…The association between exposure to violence, alcohol, and drugs and psychosocial and behavioral outcomes among Mexican-American adolescents of low socioeconomic status E xposure to alcohol, violence, and drugs puts adolescents at high risk for developing current and future maladaptive and antisocial behaviors (Aldridge-Gerry et al, 2011;Coelho, 2012;Cyders et al, 2010;J. Wang et al, 2009).…”