Using Implicit Measures to Improve Prediction of Hazardous Drinking

描述(由申请人提供)：拟议研究的总体目标是改善对大学生危险饮酒(HD；酗酒和与酒精相关的负面后果)的预测。对于年轻人来说，大学时光与酗酒和问题的风险增加有关，包括死亡、身体伤害、性和/或身体攻击、无保护的性行为和醉酒驾驶。饮酒的双过程模型提出了一种改进HD预测的方法。双加工模型认为，外显(慢速、反思)认知过程和内隐(快、反身)认知过程都对成瘾行为有贡献。然而，酒精研究强调了外显过程，这可能会使内隐过程得不到解释。这项拟议的研究试图通过使用酒精关联的内隐测量(IMS)来解释内隐过程，从而增加对HD的预测。我们建议重点关注HD的两个不同方面的预测。首先，双过程模型假设，随着成瘾行为的形成，内隐过程变得越来越重要。对于大学生来说，大学初期既是饮酒行为形成的时期，也是HD风险增加的时期。因此，我们建议进行一项前瞻性研究，随机抽取500名大学一年级的学生，评估IMS、他们的外显自我报告量表(EM)和危险饮酒测量，每隔3个月评估一次，为期两年。我们将全面调查饮酒者(戒酒者到重度饮酒者)和风险增加的时间，这将允许检查危险饮酒、IMS和EMS的人内和人与人之间的变化。第二，双过程模型假设，在已有饮酒者中，当认知加工资源有限或不太可能应用时，内隐加工应占主导地位，例如在存在积极情绪或自我调节资源耗尽(自我耗尽)的情况下。对于大学生饮酒者来说，积极的情绪和自我耗尽的饮酒与更多的酒精消费和经历更多的酒精相关问题有关。因此，我们建议进行两项实验室研究，包括IMS和EMS；诱导积极的情绪或自我耗竭；并在随后的临时饮酒任务中测量参与者的饮酒情况。每项研究将招募100名法定年龄、大学生和酗酒者作为样本。因此，研究2和3将允许在积极的情感或自我耗竭的条件下-与风险增加和认知过程较浅相关的条件下-在已确定的饮酒者的样本中，研究IM和EM作为实际饮酒的预测因素。总而言之，拟议的研究旨在通过考虑内隐过程来改善大学生HD的预测，并最终旨在确定预防和干预努力的额外目标。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overarching objective of the proposed research is to improve the prediction of hazardous drinking (HD; heavy alcohol use and negative alcohol-related consequences) in college students. For young adults, the college years are associated with increased risk for heavy alcohol use and problems, including death, physical injury, sexual and/or physical assault, unprotected sex, and driving while intoxicated. Dual process models of drinking suggest a way to improve the prediction of HD. Dual process models posit that both explicit (slow, reflective) cognitive processes and implicit (fast, reflexive) cognitive processes contribute to addictive behaviors. However, alcohol research has emphasized explicit processes, which may leave implicit processes unaccounted for. The proposed research seeks to increase the prediction of HD by accounting for implicit processes through the use implicit measures (IMs) of alcohol associations. We propose to focus on the prediction of two, different aspects of HD. First, dual process models posit that implicit processes become increasingly important as addictive behaviors become established. For college students, the early college years represent both a time period when drinking behaviors are being established and a time period of heightened risk for HD. Therefore, we propose to conduct a prospective study that will follow a random sample of 500 students in their early college years and assess IMs, their explicit self-report measure (EM) counterparts, and measures of hazardous drinking at 3-month intervals for 2 years. We will investigate the full range of drinkers (abstainers to heavy users) a a time of increased risk, which will allow for an examination of within- and between-person change in hazardous drinking, IMs, and EMs. Second, dual process models posit that, in established drinkers, implicit processes should dominate when cognitive processing resources are limited or are unlikely to be applied, such as in the presence of positive affect or when self-regulation resources are depleted (ego-depleted). For college students drinkers, positive affect and ego-depleted-related drinking are associated with greater alcohol consumption and experiencing more alcohol-related problems. Therefore, we propose to conduct 2 laboratory studies that will include IMs and EMs; induce positive affect or ego depletion; and measure participants' alcohol consumption in a subsequent ad lib drinking task. A sample of 100 legal-age, college student, and heavy episodic drinkers will be recruited for each study. Studies 2 and 3 will, thus, allow for an investigation of IMs and EMs as predictors of actual alcohol consumption under positive affect or ego depletion conditions - conditions that are associated with increased risk and shallower cognitive processes - in a sample of established drinkers. Collectively, the proposed studies are intended to improve the prediction of HD in college students by accounting for implicit processes, and ultimately, are intended to identify additional targets for prevention and intervention efforts.