Implicit and Explicit Alcohol Cognitions: The Moderating Effect of Executive Functions

Abstract

Aims: Research informed by dual-process models of addictions has clearly demonstrated an association between implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognitions and alcohol consumption. However, the literature is limited with respect to examination of the cognitive abilities that may moderate these associations across populations. This study examined relations among alcohol associations, inhibition and alcohol consumption in a sample of college students. It was hypothesized that the executive ability of response inhibition would moderate relations between alcoholrelated cognitions and alcohol consumption, such that individuals with weaker response inhibition would demonstrate stronger relations between implicit cognitions and use, while individuals with stronger response inhibition would demonstrate more robust relations between explicit cognitions and use. Methods: Research participants (N = 205, age 19.0 years (standard deviation = 1.1)) mostly female (n = 150, 73.2%) completed two implicit association tasks measuring alcohol-related positive/arousal and relaxation associations. In addition, participants completed questionnaires regarding alcohol expectancies, alcohol consumption and problems, and various measures of inhibition. We tested study hypotheses using structural equation modeling and probed significant interactions using simple slope analyses. Results: We found support for a moderating effect of response inhibition on relations between implicit relaxation associations and alcohol consumption. We did not find a moderating effect of working memory capacity on relations between alcohol-related associations and use. Conclusions: Findings from this study further our understanding of differential cognitive and inhibition factors that contribute to underage alcohol consumption with implications for preventive interventions to reduce alcohol misuse and consequences. Short summary: We investigated whether the effect of implicit and explicit alcohol associations on alcohol consumption was moderated by response inhibition and working memory among college students. Response inhibition moderated the effect of implicit relaxation associations on consumption. We did not obtain support for moderation by working memory, or of explicit associations.

Implicit Cognition and Psychopathology: Looking Back and Looking Forward

“…These discrepancies may be due to differences in populations (e.g., heavy drinkers versus nonheavy drinkers) or the presence of advertising in visual stimuli (see Kreusch et al 2013). Other potential moderators that may influence the relation between implicit drinking-related cognition and outcomes include age (Davies et al 2017), sex (Lindgren et al 2016a), executive functions (Lavigne et al 2017), mood (Lindgren et al 2018c), distractibility (Farris et al 2010), and other substance use (e.g., Cohn et al 2014). For example, positive + alcohol associations on an IAT predicted drinking behavior among adults in college aged 18 and older, but not among adolescents aged 11-17 years (Davies et al 2017).…”

Bias Toward Drug-Related Stimuli Is Affected by Loading Working Memory in Abstinent Ex-Methamphetamine Users

“…The results showed that abstinent ex-methamphetamine users showed a bias (i.e., the summation of WM interference bias and WM bias) during low WM load (three words) task performance but not during high load WM (five and seven words) compared to the nonaddict group. The impulsive process may trigger cognitive biases such as attentional bias for drug-related stimuli (14, 15, 18). Studies showed that the use of drugs develops a specific reward system in the brain by releasing dopamine in mesolimbic brain areas, which in turn enhance learning by conditioning (26, 50–52).…”

“…Attentional bias toward methamphetamine-related stimuli can increase the effect of subjective craving, which may contribute to relapse (25, 26). However, the drug-related impulsive process can be modulated by the reflective system (14, 26). Working memory (WM), which is considered as the main part of the reflective process, can modulate the drug-related impulsive process (14, 26, 27).…”

“…However, the drug-related impulsive process can be modulated by the reflective system (14, 26). Working memory (WM), which is considered as the main part of the reflective process, can modulate the drug-related impulsive process (14, 26, 27). WM is a temporary storage system that can actively maintain information and manipulate stored information (28).…”

“…Effective cognitive control over addiction encompasses more than simply disengaging attention from methamphetamine stimuli; it is also necessary to maintain attention toward nonmethamphetamine information (14, 35). WM allows us to maintain and prioritize relevant information in the face of irrelevant information (28).…”