Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 17, 2026

Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication
Published on: February 6, 2019
Restrained drinking and cognitive control among adolescents
R J Williams1, L A Ricciardelli
1School of Social Sciences and Liberal Studies, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia.
Abstract:
The present study investigated restrained drinking and self-control in relation to alcohol consumption and problem drinking in a sample of adolescents. One hundred ninety-eight high school students (97 males and 101 females; mean age = 16.45 years) completed questionnaires that assessed levels of alcohol consumption, problem drinking, restrained drinking, and cognitive self-control. The findings were similar for males and females: higher levels of restrained drinking, as measured by cognitive emotional preoccupation (CEP), predicted higher levels of alcohol consumption and problem drinking. Moreover, it was high CEP in combination with a low score on a general measure of cognitive self-control that differentiated problem drinking from high levels of drinking. The results are consistent with previous research on young adults. The findings are discussed in relation to Baumeister and Heatherton's (1996) model of self-regulation failure.
Related Concept Videos
Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition
Self-Regulation
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Cognitive Development During Adolescence
Cognitive Dissonance
CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine

