Testing a model of reward sensitivity, implicit and explicit drinker identity and hazardous drinking

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Neuroscience

Background:

• University students exhibit problematic alcohol consumption, leading to adverse health outcomes.
• Reward sensitivity and drinker identity are known factors in drinking behavior.
• Limited research connects personality traits and multiple drinker identity measures to problematic drinking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine implicit and explicit drinker identity as mediators between reward sensitivity and problematic drinking.
• To investigate the relationship between personality traits, social-cognitive variables, and alcohol consumption in university students.

Main Methods:

• A correlational study involving 136 university students.
• Participants completed implicit association tests for drinker identity and questionnaires for reward sensitivity and problematic drinking.
• The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was used to measure problematic drinking over the past 3 months.

Main Results:

• Reward sensitivity was significantly associated with explicit binge drinker identity, but not implicit identity.
• Explicit binge drinker identity mediated the relationship between reward sensitivity and problematic drinking.
• Problematic drinking was assessed via self-reported frequency, quantity, and negative outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Explicit drinker identity plays a crucial role in the link between reward sensitivity and problematic drinking.
• Identity-based interventions targeting students with high reward sensitivity may be effective.
• Promoting non-idealized drinker identities can help mitigate problematic drinking behaviors.