Impulsivity and drinking motives predict problem behaviours relating to alcohol use in University students

Abstract

A note on versions:The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the repository url above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription.For more information, please contact eprints@nottingham.ac.uk Running Head: Impulsivity and negative outcomes of alcohol use 2 AbstractAims: This study used a four-factor model of impulsivity to investigate inter-relationships between alcohol consumption, impulsivity, motives for drinking and the tendency to engage in alcohol-related problem behaviours.Methods: 400 University students aged 18-25 completed an online survey consisting of the following measures: Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance and Sensation Seeking Scale (UPPS) to measure impulsivity; Student Alcohol Questionnaire to assess drinking quantity, frequency and rates of problem behaviours; Drinking Motives Questionnaire to assess motives for drinking. Results:The majority of the sample (94.5%) drank alcohol at least monthly. Path analysis revealed direct effects of urgency, sensation seeking and premeditation, as well as the quantity of alcohol consumed, on the tendency to engage in risky behaviours with negative consequences. The effect of urgency was mediated by drinking for coping motives and by a combined effect of drinking for social motives and consumption of wine or spirits. Conversely the effect of sensation seeking was mediated by the quantity of alcohol consumed, irrespective of drink type, and the effect of premeditation was mediated by the consumption of wine and spirits, in combination with enhancement motives.Conclusions: Sensation seeking, urgency and lack of premeditation are related to different motives for drinking and also demonstrate dissociable relationships with the consumption of specific types of alcohol (beer, wine and spirits) and the tendency to engage in risky behaviours associated with alcohol consumption. Screening for high levels of urgency and for severe drinking consequences may be useful predictors of alcohol-related problems in UK University students aged 18 to 25 years. & Kamali, 1996). Recent research hasshown that alcohol-related harms (e.g. unintentional injury, driving or committing assault or sexual assault whilst intoxicated, engaging in unplanned or unprotected sexual activity) have become increasingly prevalent in a University population (Hingson, Heeren, Winter, & Wechsler, 2005;Hingson et al., 2003;Vik, Carrello, Tate, & Field, 2000). However, the majority of research measuring the range and type of alcohol-related harms in a University student population has been conducted in the United States of America (USA), a drinking culture that varies in subtle but important ways to the UK. For instance, young people can purchase alcohol legally at the age of 18 in the UK, but not until 21 in the USA. This may potentially lead to differences between USA and UK university students because i...

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