Kristen P Lindgren1, Scott A Baldwin2, Cecilia C Olin1, Reinout W Wiers3, Bethany A Teachman4, Jeanette Norris5, Debra Kaysen1, Clayton Neighbors6. 1. Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th Street, Suite 300, Seattle, WA, USA. 2. Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, 285 TLRB, Provo, UT, USA. 3. Addiction Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Postbus 15916, NK Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 4. Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA, USA. 5. Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington, 1107 NE 45th St, Ste 120, Seattle, WA, USA. 6. Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 126 Heyne Building, Houston, TX, USA.
Abstract
AIMS: Implicit measures of alcohol associations (i.e. measures designed to assess associations that are fast/reflexive/impulsive) have received substantial research attention. Alcohol associations related to the self (drinking identity), the effects of alcohol (alcohol excite) and appetitive inclinations (alcohol approach) have been found to predict drinking cross-sectionally and over time. A critical next step in this line of research and the goal of this study is to evaluate whether increases in the strength of these associations predict increases in drinking and vice versa. These hypotheses were tested in a sample of first- and second-year US university students: a sample selected because this time period is associated with initiation and escalation of drinking, peak levels of alcohol consumption and severe alcohol-related negative consequences. SHORT SUMMARY: This study's purpose was to evaluate whether increases in the strength of alcohol associations with the self (drinking identity), excitement (alcohol excite) and approach (alcohol approach) as assessed by implicit measures predicted subsequent increases in drinking risk and vice versa using a longitudinal, university student sample. Results were consistent with hypotheses. METHODS: A sample of 506 students' (57% women) alcohol associations and alcohol consumption were assessed every 3 months over a 2-year period. Participants' consumption was converted to risk categories based on NIAAA's criteria: non-drinkers, low-risk drinkers and high-risk drinkers. A series of cross-lagged panel models tested whether changes in alcohol associations predicted subsequent change in drinking risk (and vice versa). RESULTS: Across all three measures of alcohol associations, increases in the strength of alcohol associations were associated with subsequent increases in drinking risk and vice versa. CONCLUSION: Results from this study indicate bi-directional relationships between increases in alcohol associations (drinking identity, alcohol excite and alcohol approach) and subsequent increases in drinking risk. Intervention and prevention efforts may benefit from targeting these associations.
AIMS: Implicit measures of alcohol associations (i.e. measures designed to assess associations that are fast/reflexive/impulsive) have received substantial research attention. Alcohol associations related to the self (drinking identity), the effects of alcohol (alcohol excite) and appetitive inclinations (alcohol approach) have been found to predict drinking cross-sectionally and over time. A critical next step in this line of research and the goal of this study is to evaluate whether increases in the strength of these associations predict increases in drinking and vice versa. These hypotheses were tested in a sample of first- and second-year US university students: a sample selected because this time period is associated with initiation and escalation of drinking, peak levels of alcohol consumption and severe alcohol-related negative consequences. SHORT SUMMARY: This study's purpose was to evaluate whether increases in the strength of alcohol associations with the self (drinking identity), excitement (alcohol excite) and approach (alcohol approach) as assessed by implicit measures predicted subsequent increases in drinking risk and vice versa using a longitudinal, university student sample. Results were consistent with hypotheses. METHODS: A sample of 506 students' (57% women) alcohol associations and alcohol consumption were assessed every 3 months over a 2-year period. Participants' consumption was converted to risk categories based on NIAAA's criteria: non-drinkers, low-risk drinkers and high-risk drinkers. A series of cross-lagged panel models tested whether changes in alcohol associations predicted subsequent change in drinking risk (and vice versa). RESULTS: Across all three measures of alcohol associations, increases in the strength of alcohol associations were associated with subsequent increases in drinking risk and vice versa. CONCLUSION: Results from this study indicate bi-directional relationships between increases in alcohol associations (drinking identity, alcohol excite and alcohol approach) and subsequent increases in drinking risk. Intervention and prevention efforts may benefit from targeting these associations.
Authors: Kristen P Lindgren; Clayton Neighbors; Bethany A Teachman; Reinout W Wiers; Erin Westgate; Anthony G Greenwald Journal: Psychol Addict Behav Date: 2012-03-19
Authors: Kristen P Lindgren; Jeni L Burnette; Crystal L Hoyt; Kirsten P Peterson; Clayton Neighbors Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2019-12-04 Impact factor: 3.455
Authors: Kristen P Lindgren; Christian S Hendershot; Jason J Ramirez; Edward Bernat; Mauricio Rangel-Gomez; Kirsten P Peterson; James G Murphy Journal: Clin Psychol Rev Date: 2018-04-11
Authors: Anthony G Greenwald; Miguel Brendl; Huajian Cai; Dario Cvencek; John F Dovidio; Malte Friese; Adam Hahn; Eric Hehman; Wilhelm Hofmann; Sean Hughes; Ian Hussey; Christian Jordan; Teri A Kirby; Calvin K Lai; Jonas W B Lang; Kristen P Lindgren; Dominika Maison; Brian D Ostafin; James R Rae; Kate A Ratliff; Adriaan Spruyt; Reinout W Wiers Journal: Behav Res Methods Date: 2021-09-13
Authors: Kristen P Lindgren; Scott A Baldwin; Kirsten P Peterson; Reinout W Wiers; Bethany A Teachman Journal: Addict Behav Date: 2020-03-30 Impact factor: 3.913
Authors: Kevin S Montes; Cecilia C Olin; Bethany A Teachman; Scott A Baldwin; Kristen P Lindgren Journal: Addict Behav Date: 2018-07-17 Impact factor: 3.913
Authors: Kristen P Lindgren; Scott A Baldwin; Jason J Ramirez; Cecilia C Olin; Kirsten P Peterson; Reinout W Wiers; Bethany A Teachman; Jeanette Norris; Debra Kaysen; Clayton Neighbors Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-01-09 Impact factor: 3.240