Selected impulsivity facets with alcohol use/problems: The mediating role of drinking motives

Impulsive Personality and Alcohol Use: Bidirectional Relations Over One Year

“…Existing cross-sectional and longitudinal findings have demonstrated that impulsivity is a significant predictor of substance use and problems, and studies examining the contribution of substance use to later impulsivity have found it to be a significant predictor of later sensation seeking (Horvath et al, 2004;Quinn et al, 2011) and prototypical impulsivity (Quinn et al, 2011). Research indicates that impulsive personality traits vary in their relations with outcomes of interest, including different types of alcohol outcomes (e.g., amount/frequency of use vs. problems; Curcio & George, 2011), raising the possibility that different impulsive traits may be influenced by substance use to different degrees. The current study sought to address this question by examining bidirectional relations between the facets of impulsivity assessed by the UPPS-P and alcohol use across a 1-year period.…”

“…Furthermore, the relations of the UPPS-P facets with different types of substance-related outcomes vary, providing support for the utility of a multidimensional perspective. Sensation seeking, for example, appears to be particularly important in predicting frequency/ amount of use, whereas positive urgency and negative urgency are better predictors of alcohol-related problems (Curcio & George, 2011;LaBrie et al, 2014;Stojek & Fischer, 2013).…”

The influence of groups and alcohol consumption on individual risk-taking

“…However, their association with alcohol use is complex, as heightened impulsivity and risk-taking are suggested to be predictors of excessive alcohol use, as well as the consequence of acute intoxication (de Wit, 2008). Much support has been found for the notion that impulsivity drives problematic alcohol use (Curcio & George, 2011;Hyucksun, Grace, & Jeon, 2012;LaBrie, Kenney, Napper, & Miller, 2014;Mackillop et al, 2011), though less research has addressed the role of risk-taking in predicting alcohol-related issues (de Haan et al, 2015;Stamates & Lau-Barraco, 2017). The lack of research surrounding risk-taking as a determinant of alcohol use may be partly explained by researchers interchangeable use of impulsivity and risk-taking as synonymous constructs, whereas many argue that they are distinct from one another (Fernie et al, 2010;Stamates & Lau-Barraco, 2017).…”

Predictors of Drinking Behaviour Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A New Psychosocial Control Perspective

“…Individuals aged 18 to 20 years have recently turned the legal age for drinking and may be transitioning to university, a novel social environment with easily accessible licensed venues. Individuals with high levels of sensation seeking may be more likely to engage in frequent and heavy alcohol consumption to achieve excitement in such environments (Curcio & George, 2011;Zapolski, Cyders, & Smith, 2009). Early detection and screening measures could identify those at risk of impulsive or sensation seeking traits, and support the promotion of self-control strategies and encouragement of socially acceptable novel behaviours (e.g., travelling, music, extreme sports).…”

“…Sensation seeking is different from more traditional conceptions of "rash impulsivity" (Dawe, Gullo, & Loxton, 2004), which is typified by a lack of planning and impulse control. Sensation seekers are often able to limit alcohol-related problems by planning ahead and by ceasing to drink once an optimal level of arousal has been achieved (Curcio & George, 2011;Magid et al, 2007). Despite these conceptual differences, impulsivity and sensation seeking are rarely considered separately (Curcio et al, 2013;Steinberg et al, 2008).…”