Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 30, 2026

Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Quantification of Social Behavior in Adult Rats
Published on: December 14, 2014
Parental problem drinking predicts implicit alcohol expectancy in adolescents and young adults
Stefan Belles1, Axel Budde, Diana Moesgen
1Technische Universität Dortmund, Germany. stefan.belles@tu-dortmund.de
Parental problem drinking influences adolescents' implicit alcohol expectations, not explicit ones. This suggests an implicit cognitive bias may contribute to addiction transmission across generations.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Public Health
Background:
- Parental problem drinking is a risk factor for adolescent substance use.
- Understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying addiction transmission is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of parental problem drinking on implicit and explicit alcohol expectancies in young people.
- To explore the role of cognitive biases in the intergenerational transmission of addictive behaviors.
Main Methods:
- An online study with adolescents and young adults (12-24 years).
- Implicit Association Test (IAT) and self-report questionnaire to measure alcohol expectancy.
- Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST) to assess parental problem drinking.
Main Results:
- Higher Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST) scores correlated with a stronger implicit association between alcohol and arousal.
- No significant relationship was found between parental problem drinking and explicit (self-reported) alcohol arousal expectancies.
Conclusions:
- Parental problem drinking may shape implicit cognitive biases related to alcohol arousal.
- These implicit biases could play a role in the intergenerational inheritance of addictive behaviors.
More Related Videos
05:40The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
Published on: April 28, 2022
08:05A Prediction Error-driven Retrieval Procedure for Destabilizing and Rewriting Maladaptive Reward Memories in Hazardous Drinkers
Published on: January 5, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition
Self-Regulation
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Cognitive Development During Adolescence