Impulsive Personality and Alcohol Use: Bidirectional Relations Over One Year

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Addiction Research
• Personality Science

Background:

• Impulsive personality traits are established predictors of substance use.
• Research indicates a bidirectional relationship between substance use and impulsive traits over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the bidirectional associations between specific impulsive personality traits and substance use.
• To examine urgency, a key facet of impulsivity, in relation to substance use patterns.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study with 525 first-year college students.
• Self-report measures of personality (UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale) and structured interviews for substance use.
• Structural equation modeling to analyze bidirectional relations over one year.

Main Results:

• Positive urgency at Time 1 predicted higher alcohol use at Time 2.
• Lack of perseverance predicted lower alcohol use.
• Alcohol use at Time 1 predicted increases in positive urgency, negative urgency, sensation seeking, and lack of premeditation at Time 2.

Conclusions:

• The study elucidates the complex, bidirectional interplay between specific impulsive personality traits and substance use.
• Findings offer a more nuanced understanding of the temporal dynamics in this relationship.