Accessibility of Alcohol-Related Attitudes: A Cross-Lag Panel Model With Young Adults [Neurobiological, Behavioral and Environmental Relations to Drinking]

Kelly, Adrian B. and Witkiewitz, Katie (2003) Accessibility of Alcohol-Related Attitudes: A Cross-Lag Panel Model With Young Adults [Neurobiological, Behavioral and Environmental Relations to Drinking]. Alcoholism-clinical And Experimental Research, 27 8: 1241-1250.


Author Kelly, Adrian B.
Witkiewitz, Katie
Title Accessibility of Alcohol-Related Attitudes: A Cross-Lag Panel Model With Young Adults [Neurobiological, Behavioral and Environmental Relations to Drinking]
Journal name Alcoholism-clinical And Experimental Research  (ERA 2012 Listed)    (ERA 2010 Rank B)   Check publisher's open access policy
Publication date 2003-08
Sub-type Article
DOI 10.1097/01.ALC.0000080665.27717.4B
Volume number 27
Issue number 8
ISSN 0145-6008
Start page 1241
End page 1250
Total pages 10
Place of publication Maryland
Publisher Blackwell
Language eng
Subject 220000 Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts - General
Abstract Background: In the alcohol literature, most cognition research has focused-on alcohol expectancies. Overall scores on alcohol expectancy questionnaires predict longitudinal changes in drinking behavior. However, the association between expectancy subscale scores and drinking behavior is inconsistent and modest. Attitudinal information may vary in accessibility (i.e., the ease or speed with which attitudinal information is evaluated), and more accessible (i.e., faster) attitudinal evaluations may predict heavier alcohol consumption. An alternative hypothesis arising from response competition theory is that heavy drinkers will show slow attitudinal evaluations, given that heavy drinkers frequently show mixed, inconsistent, or opposing alcohol-related beliefs. In this study we examined the degree to which speed of processing of alcohol-related evaluative judgments longitudinally predicted alcohol consumption in university students. Methods: Response latencies for alcohol- and non-alcohol-related attitudinal inquiries and measures of alcohol use were administered at two intervals 4 months apart. Results: The key findings were that response times for tension reduction and cognitive impairment items at time 1 positively predicted alcohol consumption at time 2. These results held after we accounted for autocorrelation in drinking and individual variability in reactivity. Conclusion: For items relating to tension reduction, response times fit a response competition hypothesis better than the attitude accessibility hypothesis.
Formatted abstract Background: In the alcohol literature, most cognition research has focused-on alcohol expectancies. Overall scores on alcohol expectancy questionnaires predict longitudinal changes in drinking behavior. However, the association between expectancy subscale scores and drinking behavior is inconsistent and modest. Attitudinal information may vary in accessibility (i.e., the ease or speed with which attitudinal information is evaluated), and more accessible (i.e., faster) attitudinal evaluations may predict heavier alcohol consumption. An alternative hypothesis arising from response competition theory is that heavy drinkers will show slow attitudinal evaluations, given that heavy drinkers frequently show mixed, inconsistent, or opposing alcohol-related beliefs. In this study we examined the degree to which speed of processing of alcohol-related evaluative judgments longitudinally predicted alcohol consumption in university students.
Methods: Response latencies for alcohol- and non-alcohol-related attitudinal inquiries and measures of alcohol use were administered at two intervals 4 months apart.
Results: The key findings were that response times for tension reduction and cognitive impairment items at time 1 positively predicted alcohol consumption at time 2. These results held after we accounted for autocorrelation in drinking and individual variability in reactivity.
Conclusion: For items relating to tension reduction, response times fit a response competition hypothesis better than the attitude accessibility hypothesis.
Keyword Substance Abuse
alcohol
attitudes
longitudinal
reaction time
accessibility
Behavior Consistency
Expectancies
Drinking
Consumption
Activation
Association
Instrument
Hypothesis
Predictors
Students
Q-Index Code C1
Q-Index Status Provisional Code
Institutional Status Unknown

Document type: Journal Article
Sub-type: Article
Collections: Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) - Collection
School of Social Science Publications
 
Versions
Version Filter Type
Citation counts: TR Web of Science Citation Count  Cited 3 times in Thomson Reuters Web of Science Article | Citations
Scopus Citation Count Cited 6 times in Scopus Article | Citations
Google Scholar Search Google Scholar
Access Statistics: 282 Abstract Views  -  Detailed Statistics
Created: Wed, 17 Oct 2007, 12:14:08 EST