A review of implicit and explicit substance self-concept as a predictor of alcohol and tobacco use and misuse

Courage, camaraderie and compassion: a qualitative exploration into UK military veterans' experiences of self-compassion within the context of alcohol use disorders and recovery

INTRODUCTION

UK veterans are at increased risk of mental health and alcohol use disorders (AUDs), experiencing specific challenges such as combat exposure and re-integration which may contribute to treatment barriers. Experiences of shame and AUDs, which may precede or become exacerbated during military service, may be mitigated by self-compassion (SC). This study sought to understand how UK veterans make sense of their SC experiences within the context of their relationships with alcohol and recovery.

METHODS

Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to interpret the SC experiences of five ex-military veterans (one female). Semistructured face-to-face interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim, with a double hermeneutic approach used to interpret meaningful issues which influenced participants' self-perceptions in relation to their alcohol use and wider social world.

RESULTS

Two key themes were identified. 'Searching for Safety', which illustrated veterans' SC sense-making within the context of their evolving lifeworld and alcohol use, and 'Healing with Honour' which reflected the significance of purpose and identity within experiences of recovery and SC. Findings were interpreted through the lens of the six bipolar elements of SC, which identified SC as salient within veterans' experiences of AUD and recovery. Although experiences of SC were sometimes perceived as challenging or incongruent to military identity, this was influenced by positive reframing and meaning-making, supported by compassionate narratives and informed trusted relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

Veterans' AUD recovery and support-seeking may be impacted by the experience of SC and enhanced by the early implementation of acceptable and feasible interventions which draw on veterans' unique military identities and experience. This may include compassion-focussed interventions which reframe SC as fierce SC, peer support models and educational strategies which support healthcare professionals to understand and identify veterans' military experiences.

'I am a Drinker': A Content, Correlational, and Factor Analytic Study of Measures of Drinker Identity Among College Students

ABSTRACT Background: Drinker identity research has proliferated over the last decade, resulting in 10 self-report questionnaire measures of this construct. However, it is unknown to what extent these measures accurately reflect the theorized multi-dimensional conceptualization of drinker identity.

OBJECTIVES

The current study set out to investigate and compare these different measures using content, correlational, and factor analyses. A content analysis is conducted to investigate dimensions captured within the 10 measures of drinker identity. Correlational and exploratory factor analyses on the items is conducted within a young adult sample (n = 1006). Descriptions of the measures, items, and factors within the measures are discussed.

RESULTS

Across the 10 measures, seven distinct factors were identified by the content analysis, and multi-dimensionality was confirmed by both the correlational and factor analyses. Factor analysis on all items yielded four interpretable factors representing generalized identity, relative identity importance, identity value/affect, and social identification.

CONCLUSIONS

The results are discussed in terms of the multi-dimensional nature of drinker identity, the psychometric equivalence of the included measures, and further issues in defining and measuring drinker identity.

Joyful growth vs. compulsive hedonism: A meta-analysis of brain activation on romantic love and addictive disorders

Due to the similarities in behavioral characteristics between romantic love and addictive disorders, the concept of being "addicted to someone" transcends mere literary metaphor, expanding perspectives on the study of romantic love and inspiring interventions for addiction. However, there has been a lack of studies systematically exploring the similarities and differences between romantic love and addiction at the neural level. In this study, we conducted an extensive literature search, incorporating 21 studies on romantic love and 28 on addictive disorders, focusing on fMRI research utilizing the cue reactivity paradigm. Using Activation Likelihood Estimation, we examined the similarities and differences in the neural mechanisms underlying love and addiction. The results showed that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) exhibited both shared and distinct activation clusters between romantic love and addictive disorders. Furthermore, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) was more frequently activated in romantic love than in addictive disorders, while greater activation within the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) was found in addictive disorder compared with romantic love. We discussed that the activation of ACC and VMPFC may symbolize self-expansion, a process that characterizes the development of romantic love, contributing to a more enriched self. Our study suggests that while romantic love and addictive disorders share a common neural foundation, the discernible differences in their neural representations distinguish them as joyful growth versus compulsive hedonism.

Associations of Implicit and Explicit Sexual Double Standard Endorsement and Sexual Assertiveness with Sexual and Interactional Competence in Emerging Adults

In this study, among emerging adults, we investigated the interrelationships of explicit and implicit measures of sexual assertiveness (SA) and sexual double standard endorsement (SDS) on the one hand, and different aspects of sexual and interactional competence (SAIC) on the other hand, using Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM) of cross-sectional data. Participants were 159 sexually active, heterosexual individuals in the Netherlands between 18 and 25 years. No exclusion criteria were used. The Sexual Competence and Interaction Competence in Youth and lifetime number of sexual partners were used to measure SAIC. Explicit SA was measured using the Hurlbert Index of Sexual Assertiveness, while Explicit SDS was assessed using the Scale for the Assessment of Sexual Standards in Youth. Two implicit association tests were performed to measure implicit SA and SDS. Participants accessed these computerized reaction time tasks via a secure online data collection platform. Results showed a strong association between the latent factors of sexual attitudes and SAIC. Greater SA and lower SDS were associated with a greater competence level. No gender effects were found.

Related metacognitions, desire thinking and identity differentially predict compulsion and withdrawal symptoms in problematic Instagram use

Work has identified that metacognitive thought results in desire-based thinking and perpetuates the magnitude and severity of maladaptive behaviour including problematic social media use, and also that one's ingroup identity is related to increasing problematic behaviour. No evidence has ascertained the relative contribution of these as related differential factors in the experience of problematic social media use. The current study explored the comparative importance of components of desire thinking, positive and negative metacognitions and dimensions of ingroup identity on degree of problematic use among 147 current Instagram users. Results showed that for predicting general problematic Instagram use negative metacognitive beliefs and the verbal perseverance component of desire-based thinking were significant. Importantly, however, different factors appeared to be important for predicting distinct aspects of problematic Instagram. For compulsivity indicators, negative metacognitions and verbal perseveration were essential, whereas for the withdrawal component identity centrality (and no other dimensions of identity) and imaginal prefiguration emerge as the sole independent predictors.

Does identity as a drinker predict problem recognition motivation in harmful drinkers?

Harmful drinking is associated with significant negative health and social outcomes, but drinkers are reticent to recognise personal drinking problems, hindering natural recovery or help-seeking. Recent evidence suggests that social identity as a drinker is associated with various drinking-related factors but has not been examined in relation to likelihood of problem recognition. In a group of ninety-six harmful drinkers (61 females, M age = 34 years) we explored how identity components associated with ingroup self-investment and ingroup self-definition in combination with implicit identity as a drinker accounted for degrees of problem recognition. In addition to demographic information, addiction experience and drinking behaviour (AUDIT), respondents completed measures of ingroup self-investment (identity centrality, solidarity, and satisfaction), ingroup self-definition (ingroup homogeneity and self-stereotyping), a "self as drinker" identity implicit association test and problem recognition (four items from the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale). After controlling for possible covariates (age, gender and alcohol addiction experience) increased problem recognition was accounted for by explicit and not implicit identity components. More specifically, increasing perceived chronic saliency of one's drinker identity (self-investment in the drinker ingroup) and not an implicit association between the self and being a drinker was related to increased likelihood of problem recognition. This suggests that how chronically and explicitly accessible the identity of the drinker is for individuals might operate to stimulate the willingness or motivation to recognise potential drinking related harm.

Understanding the Process of Drug Addiction Recovery Through First-Hand Experiences: A Qualitative Study in the Netherlands Using Lifeline Interviews

Understandings of drug addiction recovery are still being debated. Research on perspectives from first-hand experiences with recovery is rare and often contains short-term experiences in the context of a treatment setting. We aim to gain further understanding of recovery by analyzing autobiographical data from persons in different stages of drug addiction recovery who are not linked to any specific treatment service. We conducted 30 in-depth qualitative interviews with participants from various parts of the Netherlands. Participants self-identified as being "in recovery" or "recovered" from drug addiction for at least 3 months. Men and women are equally represented, and the sample consists of an equal number of participants in early (<1 year, n = 10), sustained (1-5 years, n = 10), and stable (>5 years, n = 10) recovery. We undertook a data-driven thematic analysis. Participants described that recovery is a broad process of change because addiction is interwoven with everything (theme 1); that recovery is reconsidering identity, seeing things in a new light (theme 2); that recovery is a staged long-term process (theme 3); and that universal life processes are part of recovery (theme 4). Thus, Drug addiction recovery is experienced as an interwoven long-term process, including identity change and common or universal life processes. Policy and clinical practice should therefore be aimed at supporting long-term tailored recovery goals and disseminating first-hand recovery experiences to enhance long-term outcomes and reduce stigmatization.

The nomological network of drinker identity: A scoping review

BACKGROUND

Despite the growing interest in the construct of drinker identity and empirical evidence for its role in drinking behavior, there is a paucity of papers that evaluate and integrate the results of studies on drinker identity, leaving a gap in our knowledge of the importance of the drinker identity construct. The current paper addresses this gap by reviewing and integrating the results of the studies of drinker identity.

METHODS

The scoping review identified, retrieved, and evaluated the existing literature regarding drinker identity. English language studies from EBSCOHost, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases were reviewed. Studies were included in the review if they were data-based studies or theoretical publications with drinker identity as the primary topic published in peer-reviewed journals. Studies were reviewed and coded based on their reported methodology and findings and codes were used to integrate and present findings.

RESULTS

This review advances this line of research in four ways. First, the operationalization of drinker identity is evaluated by examining the theoretical frameworks defining the construct. Second, the conceptualization and measurement of drinker identity is assessed, with suggestions for future measurement research. Third, an integrated framework of predictors, outcomes, moderators, and mediators is presented. Finally, the research gaps, future recommendations, and clinical implications are discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a need for continued research, specifically research which aims to standardize and improve measurement of drinker identity, considers longitudinal and developmental processes, and broadens the research samples and settings.

Disentangling the within- and between-person aspects of implicit alcohol associations on hazardous drinking

Indirect measures have been used to assess the strength of automatically activated, alcohol-related associations and their relation to hazardous drinking. However, little is known about the longitudinal contributions of between-person and within-person components of implicit alcohol associations (IAAs) to college students' hazardous drinking over time. This study examined how within- and between-person variability in three measures of IAA (drinking identity, alcohol approach, and alcohol excite) are related to hazardous drinking while controlling for their explicit, self-report counterparts. First- and second-year U.S. college students (N = 506; 57% female) completed web-based assessments once every 3 months up to eight assessments, which included IAA measures (Implicit Association Tests), explicit counterparts of the IAAs, and self-reported hazardous drinking (alcohol consumption, problems, and risk of alcohol use disorder). Bayesian generalized multilevel models were used to examine between- and within-person associations among IAA, their explicit counterparts, and hazardous drinking. Results showed that between persons, mean levels of all three IAAs were positively associated with hazardous drinking over time. Once their explicit, self-report counterparts were included, however, only drinking identity IAA remained significant. Within persons, increases in drinking identity IAA were associated with increases in subsequent hazardous drinking risk, even after controlling for its explicit counterpart. These results suggest the importance of disentangling and simultaneously investigating between- and within-person processes in IAAs. Although the between-person component of IAAs may play a larger role in the prediction of hazardous drinking, examining the within-person component of IAA, at least for drinking identity, also appears to be important. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

I See, Therefore I am: Exposure to Alcohol References on Social Media, but Not on Traditional Media, Is Related to Alcohol Consumption via Drinking and Non-Drinking Identity

In recent years, the role of media in individuals' alcohol consumption has been touched upon by several researchers. Nevertheless, the underlying processes explaining the relationship between media use and alcohol consumption, as well as the differences in strength of the associations between social and traditional media use and alcohol consumption remain understudied. The present exploratory cross-sectional study (N = 381) among emerging adults (M = 21.83, SD = 2.04, 75.3% females, 67.7% college students) examined drinking identity and non-drinking identity as underlying mechanisms of the relationship between alcohol-related media use and alcohol consumption, while comparing the role of social and traditional media in these processes. We found no associations between traditional media use and drinking identity, non-drinking identity or alcohol consumption. In contrast, social media use was both directly and indirectly related to alcohol consumption via drinking identity and non-drinking identity. This demonstrates that social media can play a socializing role in emerging adults' alcohol consumption.

An Explanatory Model of Violent Behavior, Self-Concept, and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Consumption in Secondary Education Students

Background

Current scientific evidence establishes that regular physical activity engagement provides numerous physical and mental benefits. Thus, the present research aims at examining the relationships between violent behavior, self-concept, and consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis. Specifically, two objectives were defined: (a) analyze and establish the relationships between violent behaviors, the different dimensions of self-concept, and the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis as a function of physical activity engagement, (b) define and examine a proposed explanatory model, and (c) analyze the effect of self-concept on alcohol and tobacco consumption and physical activity engagement based on the explanatory model developed.

Methods

For this purpose, a nonexperimental (ex post facto), descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted. For data collection, a sociodemographic questionnaire was administered alongside the Self-Concept Form 5 and the School Victimization Scale.

Results

It was shown that individuals engaging in more than three hours of physical exercise per week scored more highly on the social, family, physical, and emotional aspects of self-concept, whilst those who do not meet this criterion scored more highly on the academic aspect and on physical and verbal victimization.

Conclusions

The present research concludes that engagement in more than 3 hours of physical activity per week led to benefits in a number of domains of self-concept whilst, at the same time, increasing levels of violence.

Maturing Out: Between- and Within-Persons Changes in Social-Network Drinking, Drinking Identity, and Hazardous Drinking Following College Graduation

Many college students reduce hazardous drinking (HD) following graduation without treatment. Identifying cognitive mechanisms facilitating this "natural" reduction in HD during this transition is crucial. We evaluated drinking identity as a potential mechanism and tested whether within-person changes in one's social network's drinking were linked to within-person changes in drinking identity and subsequent within-person changes in HD. A sample of 422 undergraduates reporting HD was followed from six months before until two years after graduation. Their drinking, drinking identity, and social networks were assessed online. Within-person changes in drinking identity did not mediate the relationship between within-person changes in social network drinking and personal HD, though significant positive between-person associations among all constructs were found. Instead, there was some evidence that within-person changes in drinking identity followed changes in HD, suggesting that drinking identity may function as a marker versus mechanism of "natural" HD reduction during transition out of college.

“Intervention Program Based on Self”: A Proposal for Improving the Addiction Prevention Program “Unplugged” through Self-Concept

The “Intervention Program based on Self” (IPSELF) project was created to address the gap between the acquisition of life skills during prevention programs and their application with a session for developing one’s self-concept included in the European program “Unplugged”. The present study evaluated its effectiveness. A total of 157 middle school students (94 girls, 63 boys, M_AGE= 12.89, SD = 0.45) from three schools in France participated in this study. The participants attended one of two programs (Unplugged/IPSELF). The effectiveness of the IPSELF add-on session was measured with the Self-Concept Clarity Scale, and the differences between the two programs was measured with the prototype willingness model. Adolescents in IPSELF rated the typical nonsmoker and cannabis nonsmoker more favorably, and the typical drinker less favorably. They felt more different from the typical smoker and drinker after participation in IPSELF. More alcohol experimenters were observed in Unplugged. The knowledge gained in IPSELF appeared to help adolescents more than that gained in Unplugged to change their smoking behavior. Furthermore, IPSELF had a more beneficial effect for girls, who felt that they had gained more control over their alcohol and cannabis use than boys, whereas Unplugged had a more positive effect on boys, who gained better control over their consumption. Moreover, the girls felt that they had gained more knowledge about the substances discussed in IPSELF than in Unplugged. We therefore recommend the use of IPSELF especially with female audiences.

Do evaluation and self-identification relate to self-reported and actual social media use?

Background and aims

Social media use can sometimes become excessive and damaging. To deal with this issue, scholars and practitioners have called for the development of measures that predict social media use. The current studies test the utility of evaluation and self-identification measures for predicting social media use.

Method

Study 1 examined the relation between evaluation (n = 58) and self-identification (n = 56) measures on the one hand and several self-report measures of social media use on the other hand. Study 2 examined whether the main results of Study 1 could be replicated and whether evaluation (n = 68) and self-identification (n = 48) also relate to actual social media use. We probed evaluation and self-identification using implicit and explicit measures.

Results

Explicit evaluation and self-identification measures significantly correlated with several of the self-report measures of social media. Explicit evaluation also significantly correlated with several indices of actual social media use. Implicit measures did not relate to social media use.

Discussion and conclusions

The current results suggest that researchers and practitioners could benefit from using explicit evaluation and self-identification measures when predicting social media use, especially an evaluation measure since this measure also seems to relate to actual social media use. Study 2 was one of the first to test the ecological validity of social media use measures. Although implicit measures could provide benefits for predicting social media use, the current studies did not show evidence for their predictive utility.

A New Perspective on "Drinking" Self: A Network Approach to Characterizing Drinking-Related Changes in Personality

BACKGROUND

Previous research suggests that self-knowledge, particularly perceptions of oneself as a "drinker," may influence the development and progression of alcohol use and related problems, such as binge drinking. While existing studies have provided empirical evidence for the importance of assessing drinking self-perception within the five-factor model of personality framework, further examination with novel analytic methods, such as network analyses, could improve understanding of the drinker self-concept. Methods: Five factor traits of openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability were assessed among a large sample of young adults (n = 423) across "general" and "drinking" contexts. Features of the personality networks were investigated, including topology, network centrality, stability of the network across "general" and "drinking" assessments, as well as differences in the network across the two assessments. Results: Individual personality items were more related to other items within the same trait than to other traits. There was no most central item in the networks, but item strength was uncorrelated to mean-level of the item. The network structure was stable across both assessments, although the overall strength of item relationships significantly increased in the drinking personality network. Conclusions: Examining drinking personality using a network analytic framework provided novel insights into drinker self-concept and the role drinking contexts might play in self-perception of personality in those contexts.

Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2022.2034874 .

Implicit and Explicit Self-Identification as a Drug User in People Who Used Heroin and Methamphetamine

Implicit and explicit self-identification as a drug user specific to the substance used (e.g., viewing oneself as a drinker) have been examined, as they relate to that drug use. However, studies have rarely explored whether identifying as a "drug user" differs implicitly and explicitly for people who use different drugs and how this identification relates to drug-use behaviors or abstinence. This study examined implicit and explicit self-identification as a "drug user" and their associations with drug-use behaviors and abstinence in people who used heroin (PWUH) and people who used methamphetamine (PWUM). Forty PWUH and 35 PWUM in a rehabilitation facility completed the single category implicit association test (SC-IAT), which evaluated implicit associations of a "drug user" with "self," and a measure of explicit self-identification as a "drug user." Prior drug-use behaviors and current abstinence duration of the participants were assessed. PWUH demonstrated stronger implicit "self + drug user" associations and higher levels of explicit self-identification as a "drug user" than PWUM. A higher frequency of drug use was associated with higher levels of explicit drug-user self-identity, and longer abstinence duration was positively related to stronger implicit "self + drug user" associations in PWUH. The drug type of heroin (vs. methamphetamine) participants used was associated with a higher frequency of use, which, in turn, predicted higher levels of explicit drug-user self-identity. Given that the PWUH group differs from the PWUM group in terms of implicit and explicit self-identification as "drug users," it would be more appropriate to address drug-user self-identity of individuals according to the substance they use rather than as a collective group.

Identification with drinking predicts increases in drinking behaviors (but not vice versa)

Cross-sectional research has demonstrated that endorsing, or acknowledging, and frequently thinking about having a drinking identity are uniquely and positively associated with alcohol consumption and risk for hazardous drinking. In the current investigation, we evaluated whether these facets of drinking identity indicated a latent drinking identity variable. We also investigated whether greater identification with drinking predicted subsequent increases in alcohol consumption and risk for hazardous drinking, and whether higher levels of these drinking behavior variables predicted subsequent increases in identification with drinking. Data were collected from participants (N = 422) near their graduation from college and then again eight months later. Drinking identity endorsement and drinking identity thought frequency were positive indicators of a latent drinking identity variable. Identification with drinking was concurrently, positively associated with both alcohol consumption and risk for hazardous drinking at both time points. Greater identification with drinking at the first assessment predicted subsequent increases in alcohol consumption and risk for hazardous drinking. Surprisingly, the drinking behavior variables did not prospectively predict changes in identification with drinking. These findings support an expanded conceptualization of drinking identity, provide further evidence that greater identification with drinking prospectively predicts more drinking behaviors, and suggest that drinking identity should be considered in interventions to reduce hazardous drinking.

I am what I am: A meta-analysis of the association between substance user identities and substance use-related outcomes

OBJECTIVE

Research indicates that a substance user identity (i.e., drinking, smoking, and marijuana identity) is positively correlated with substance use-related outcomes (e.g., frequency, quantity, consequences, and disorder symptoms). The current study aimed to meta-analytically derive single, weighted effect size estimates of the identity-outcome association as well as to examine moderators (e.g., substance use type, explicit/implicit assessment, demographic characteristics, and research design) of this association.

METHOD

Random effects meta-analysis was conducted on 70 unique samples that assessed substance user identity and at least one substance use-related outcome (frequency, quantity, consequences, and/or disorder symptoms), and provided the necessary information for effect size calculations.

RESULTS

Substance user identity was found to be a statistically significant moderate-to-large correlate of all substance use-related outcomes examined in the current study (r _w = .365, p < .001, r_w² = .133). The strongest associations were observed between identity and disorder symptoms (alcohol) and frequency of substance use (tobacco or marijuana). In terms of moderators of the identity-outcome association, the link between explicit drinking identity and alcohol use-related outcomes appeared to be stronger in magnitude than the relationship between implicit drinking identity and alcohol use-related outcomes; however, this difference appears to be largely due to the finding that implicit measures have lower reliability. The strongest identity-outcome association was observed among younger individuals.

CONCLUSIONS

Substance user identity is clearly an important correlate of substance use-related outcomes and this association is stronger among younger individuals. Additional theoretical, empirical, and intervention research is needed to utilize knowledge gleaned from the current study on the identity-outcome association. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The importance of psychology for shaping legal cannabis regulation

Different patterns of cannabis use can be traced directly back to different interactions between 2 types of variables: pharmacological and environmental. As legal cannabis expands in the U.S. and around the world, state and national regulatory agencies are gaining control over these variables. Specifically, regulatory agencies are increasingly capable of altering (a) the pharmacological properties of cannabis products and (b) the way these products are distributed to the population. Consequently, cannabis regulatory agencies are in a unique position to use evidence from psychological science to alter cannabis consumption patterns in ways that mitigate potential harm to public health. However, most state-level legal cannabis regulatory systems in the U.S. are not yet evidence-based or public health-oriented. This applied review and commentary draws on evidence from the psychological science literature to help regulators better understand the types of behaviors they must address and guide empirically supported regulation of THC-laden cannabis, whether used putatively for medical or recreational reasons. This review is organized into 3 parts that correspond to the 3 primary agents within the cannabis regulation ecosystem: (a) the cannabis consumer, (b) the cannabis industry, and (c) the cannabis regulatory agency. Within this structure, the review addresses critical psychological variables that drive cannabis consumer and industry behaviors and discusses how regulatory agencies can use this information to protect public health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Alcohol and marijuana protective behavioral strategies mediate the relationship between substance use identity and use-related outcomes: A multi-sample examination

Substance use identity has been consistently associated with problematic substance use. Limited attention has considered mechanisms of this association. This research examined whether greater identification as a drinker or marijuana user would be associated with the use of fewer alcohol/marijuana protective behavioral strategies (PBS; e.g., avoiding drinking games/avoiding using marijuana in public places). Further, PBS have been associated with lower levels of negative alcohol/marijuana-related outcomes (i.e., frequency, quantity, consequences). In the current multi-sample study, PBS were examined as a mediator of the relationship between drinking/marijuana identity and alcohol/marijuana-related outcomes across three studies. Study 1 was an intervention study with heavy drinking college students (N = 605), Study 2 was a multisite study of marijuana outcomes among college students (N = 2,077), and Study 3 was a study of substance use in a community sample (n = 369_alcohol; n = 146_marijuana). Cross-sectional and/or longitudinal data were collected across studies. Substance use identity, PBS, and use-related outcomes were measured across the three studies. Indirect effects were evaluated by Monte Carlo confidence intervals. Manner of Drinking PBS were found to be the only statistically significant mediator of the relationship between drinking identity and alcohol-related outcomes (i.e., quantity and consequences) cross-sectionally. These significant cross-sectional mediation effects for alcohol were replicated in one of three longitudinal models. Marijuana PBS were also found to mediate the relationship between marijuana identity and all marijuana-related outcomes examined in the current study. Study findings may help to inform the development of identity-based and PBS-based interventions that aim to reduce negative alcohol/marijuana-related outcomes.

On the role of (implicit) drinking self-identity in alcohol use and problematic drinking: A comparison of five measures

Objective: Implicit and explicit drinking self-identity appear to be useful in predicting alcohol-related outcomes. However, there are several different implicit and explicit measures which can be used to assess drinking self-identity. Some of these implicit measures can also capture relational information (e.g., I am a drinker, I should be a drinker), which might provide unique advantages. Despite the importance of having good measures of drinking self-identity, to date there has been little direct comparison of these measures. Method: This study (N = 358) systematically compared two commonly used measures of drinking self-identity (one implicit and one explicit: the Implicit Association Test [IAT] and the Alcohol Self-Concept Scale [ASCS]) with three relational measures of implicit self-identity (the autobiographical IAT [aIAT], the Relational Responding Task [RRT], and the Propositional Concealed Information Test [pCIT]) on a range of criteria relevant to experimental and clinical alcohol researchers. Results: Overall, we found mixed performances on the implicit measures. Interestingly, the aIAT, which probed should-based drinking identity, performed better than the standard IAT. However, the explicit measure exhibited superior performance to all other measures across all criteria. Conclusions: Our results suggest that researchers who wish to assess drinking-related self-identity and to predict alcohol-related outcomes cross-sectionally should set their focus primarily on the use (and further development) of the ASCS, rather than any of the implicit measures. Future research focusing on the ASCS should seek to investigate the generalizability of our findings to patient populations, and incorporate relational information within that procedure to further improve upon its already-strong utility. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

An investigation of the relationship between identifying as a smoker and urges to smoke among young adult combustible cigarette smokers

Identifying as a smoker and urges to smoke are 2 predictors of persistent combustible cigarette smoking. We investigated the relationship between them. Specifically, grounded in PRIME Theory (West & Brown, 2013), we investigated whether a smoker identity and urges to smoke predict each other over time independent of their relationships with smoking behavior. At 3 yearly time points, young adult combustible cigarette smokers (N = 286) completed assessments of endorsement and importance of identifying as a smoker as well as smoking behavior; during the subsequent week at the first 2 time points, participants repeatedly completed assessments of momentary smoking urge intensity and current social situation in randomly prompted ecological momentary assessments (EMA). Within time points, greater endorsement of identifying as a smoker predicted more intense momentary urges to smoke, particularly when in the presence of other people than when alone. Across time points, both elevated and elevating levels of smoker identity endorsement predicted increases in average smoking urge intensity; vice versa, both elevated and elevating levels of average smoking urge intensity predicted increases in smoker identity endorsement and importance. All relationships were independent of smoking behavior. These findings add to our understanding of persistent combustible cigarette smoking, as they indicate that a smoker identity and urges to smoke contribute to each other independent of their relationships with smoking behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Behavioral preference for viewing drug v. pleasant images predicts current and future opioid misuse among chronic pain patients

BACKGROUND

The USA is currently enduring an opioid crisis. Identifying cost-effective, easy-to-implement behavioral measures that predict treatment outcomes in opioid misusers is a crucial scientific, therapeutic, and epidemiological goal.

METHODS

The current study used a mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal design to test whether a behavioral choice task, previously validated in stimulant users, was associated with increased opioid misuse severity at baseline, and whether it predicted change in opioid misuse severity at follow-up. At baseline, data from 100 prescription opioid-treated chronic pain patients were analyzed; at follow-up, data were analyzed in 34 of these participants who were non-misusers at baseline. During the choice task, participants chose under probabilistic contingencies whether to view opioid-related images in comparison with affectively pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral images. Following previous procedures, we also assessed insight into choice behavior, operationalized as whether (yes/no) participants correctly self-reported the image category they chose most often.

RESULTS

At baseline, the higher choice for viewing opioid images in direct comparison with pleasant images was associated with opioid misuse and impaired insight into choice behavior; the combination of these produced especially elevated opioid-related choice behavior. In longitudinal analyses of individuals who were initially non-misusers, higher baseline opioid v. pleasant choice behavior predicted more opioid misuse behaviors at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that greater relative allocation of behavior toward opioid stimuli and away from stimuli depicting natural reinforcement is associated with concurrent opioid misuse and portends vulnerability toward future misuse. The choice task may provide important medical information to guide opioid-prescribing practices.

Growth Mindsets of Alcoholism Buffer Against Deleterious Effects of Drinking Identity on Problem Drinking Over Time

BACKGROUND

Explicit (self-report) and implicit (indirect) measures of identification with drinking alcohol-drinking identity-are associated with drinking outcomes cross-sectionally and longitudinally. A key next step is to identify moderators. The current study evaluated a promising moderator: mindsets of alcoholism. Believing people can change (growth mindset) is associated with adaptive outcomes in domains such as mental health, but research is scant regarding mindsets related to problematic drinking. We evaluated whether individuals' alcoholism mindsets moderated the drinking identity to drinking relation as part of a larger, longitudinal web-based study of heavy drinkers.

METHODS

A total of 422 US college graduates (59% women) who were heavy drinkers completed measures assessing drinking identity, mindsets, and drinking outcomes (consumption, problems, and risk of alcohol use disorder). Drinking outcomes were assessed at 2 subsequent assessments occurring 4 and 8 months after the initial assessment.

RESULTS

Drinking identity was positively associated with drinking outcomes, and drinking outcomes reduced following college graduation. Alcoholism mindsets were significantly and negatively correlated with all drinking outcomes. Mindsets were only conditionally associated with drinking behaviors over time in models that evaluated mindsets, drinking identity measures, and their interaction. Mindsets moderated the relationship between drinking identity and changes in drinking behaviors, but the relation was specific to explicit drinking identity and consumption. Among participants with stronger drinking identity, those who had stronger (vs. weaker) growth mindsets reported reduction in consumption over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Growth mindsets of alcoholism appear adaptive for college graduate heavy drinkers with a stronger drinking identity. Mindsets are amenable to interventions; targeting them may be useful in heavy-drinking college graduates.

Cognitive factors and addiction

The present paper provides a brief review of cognitive factors related to addiction. Five representative cognitive constructs were selected from the current literature. These include the distinction between implicit and explicit cognitions; metacognitions; expectancies; motives; and social norms. For each of these a general overview is provided along with specific findings from selected recent studies. The intention is to provide the reader with a succinct but reasonable view of how each construct is currently studied in relation to the use of alcohol and other substances and to become aware of some of the strengths and limitations corresponding to the study of these constructs.

Physical Activity in Natural Environments Is Associated With Motivational Climate and the Prevention of Harmful Habits: Structural Equation Analysis

BACKGROUND

Practicing physical activity in a natural environment has various benefits that make it an ideal setting to develop healthy behaviors and thereby diminish unhealthy habits. The objective of this study was to develop and verify an explicative model for motivational climate in sport, considering its potential influence on alcohol and tobacco consumption.

METHODS

The study included 2273 adolescents from Granada (Spain), analyzing motivational climate (PMCSQ-2), alcohol consumption (AUDIT) and tobacco consumption (FTND). Multi-group structural equation modeling was conducted, yielding an excellent fit (χ2 = 168.170; gl = 32; p = 0.00; CFI = 0.972; NFI = 0.966; IFI = 0.972; RMSEA = 0.045).

RESULTS

The main findings were: a negative relationship between task climate and alcohol consumption among students practicing physical activities in a natural environment; a positive relationship between ego climate and alcohol consumption among those practicing other types of physical activity; and a positive and direct relationship between alcohol and tobacco consumption, which was stronger among those who did not practice physical activity in a natural environment.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that physical-sport activity practiced in nature is a key to acquiring healthy patterns characterized by intrinsic motivations in sport and lower consumption of harmful substances.

A dual process perspective on advances in cognitive science and alcohol use disorder

There is a tremendous global and national (US) burden associated with alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Further, of the mental health disorders, AUD has the widest treatment gap. Thus, there is a critical need for improved understanding of the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of AUD. The application of cognitive science to the study of AUD has a longstanding history of attempting to meet this need. In this selective review, we identified and focused on four domains of recent (i.e., in the last decade) applications of cognitive science to the study of AUD: implicit cognitive biases, executive function, behavioral economic approaches to alcohol decision making, and functional connectivity neuroimaging. We highlighted advances within these four domains and considered them in the context of dual process models of addiction, which focus on the contribution and interplay of two complementary neurocognitive systems (impulsive and control systems). Findings across the domains were generally consistent with dual process models. They also suggest the need for further model refinements, including integrating behavioral economic approaches and findings from functional connectivity neuroimaging studies. Research evaluating candidate interventions associated with these domains is emergent but promising, suggesting important directions for future research.

The Role of the Subjective Importance of Smoking (SIMS) in Cessation and Abstinence

Introduction

Each year about two thirds of U.S. smokers make a quit attempt. Yet, less than 5% remain abstinent three months post-quit date. One factor that may affect abstinence is negative feelings about the self-associated with being a smoker (disequilibrium), particularly if smoking is important to the sense of self and one is trying to quit.

Aims

We evaluated a multivariate structural equation model proposing that smoking's subjective importance to a smoker would influence carbon monoxide verified smoking abstinence at 24 weeks (post-quit date). Further, we assessed whether the relation would be moderated by the smoker's experience of disequilibrium.

Methods

Participants were 440 regular smokers taking part in a clinical trial assessing the effectiveness of different durations of nicotine replacement therapy use. Participants completed the subjective importance of smoking survey at baseline and were assessed for carbon monoxide verified seven-day point prevalence abstinence at 24 weeks.

Results

Using exploratory structural equation modelling, the subjective importance of smoking was associated with point prevalence abstinence at 24 weeks, but only for smokers with high disequilibrium.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest that experiencing negative feelings about being a smoker could motivate smokers to remain abstinent, despite the importance of smoking to the smoker's sense of self.

Investment in drinking identity is associated with alcohol consumption and risk of alcohol use disorder

Problematic alcohol consumption is elevated among those who identify (i.e., associate themselves) with drinking. We extended prior research on drinking identity by considering two dimensions of investment in identity - i.e., mental resources allocated to that identity that may motivate the pursuit of identity-related goals. We considered drinking identity importance (i.e., how important one considers it to be) and drinking identity thought frequency (i.e., how frequently one thinks about it). We investigated these dimensions from two perspectives: an absolute perspective (i.e., investment in drinking identity irrespective of other identities) and a relative perspective (i.e., investment in drinking identity compared to identities associated with other life domains [education, well-being, and personal relationships]). We aimed to evaluate whether these investment dimensions were positively associated with alcohol consumption and risk of alcohol use disorder either in interaction with or in addition to endorsement of drinking identity. College students (N = 521) who were screened for exhibiting hazardous drinking completed self-report measures of alcohol consumption, risk of alcohol use disorder, and drinking identity endorsement and investment. Controlling for gender and drinking identity endorsement, absolute and relative drinking identity thought frequency were uniquely and positively associated with alcohol consumption and risk of alcohol use disorder. Neither absolute nor relative importance of identification with drinking uniquely predicted outcomes. Drinking identity investment, as signaled by absolute and relative frequency of thought related to identification with drinking, may be an additional risk factor and/or clinical target for alcohol consumption and risk of alcohol use disorder.

Mood selectively moderates the implicit alcohol association-drinking relation in college student heavy episodic drinkers

Multiple studies indicate that implicit alcohol-related associations (i.e., indices of relatively fast, spontaneous processes) predict drinking. An important next step is to investigate moderators of the implicit association-drinking relationship. Mood state has been proposed as a moderator of this relationship: implicit associations have been theorized to be stronger predictors of drinking under positive mood states. From the same theoretical perspective, explicit measures (indices of relatively slow, reflective processes) have been proposed to be stronger predictors of drinking under negative mood states. The current study evaluated these hypotheses by investigating whether mood state (manipulated via exposure to a brief video clip) moderated the relations between three types of implicit alcohol-related associations (alcohol excite, alcohol approach, and drinking identity), their explicit counterparts, and drinking in a taste test that included beer and soft drinks. A sample of 152 undergraduate social drinkers (81 men; 71 women) completed baseline measures of implicit alcohol-related associations, their explicit counterparts, and typical drinking behaviors. Participants then viewed a mood-state-inducing video clip (positive, neutral, or negative), and completed the taste test. Results were mixed but generally indicated that prediction of drinking by baseline implicit alcohol excite (but not alcohol approach or drinking identity) associations was moderated by mood. Specifically, implicit alcohol excite associations were more negatively associated with drinking after viewing the sad video and more positively associated with drinking after watching the happy/neutral video. Moderation was also observed for the explicit counterpart of alcohol excite. Findings are discussed in terms of models of negative reinforcement drinking. (PsycINFO Database Record

Hazardous drinking has unique relationships with implicit and explicit drinking identity

Measures of drinking identity are predictive of hazardous drinking. The extent to which hazardous drinking is differentially related to implicit compared to explicit drinking identity is not well understood. Neurocognitive models of addiction indicate that chronic alcohol use is associated with deficits in self-awareness which could limit the growth or recognition of drinking identity for individuals engaging in hazardous drinking. This might be particularly true for more reflective explicit measures of identity because their assessment and underlying cognitive processes rely more on self-awareness and conscious introspection. We predicted there would be different patterns of relationships between hazardous drinking and implicit/explicit drinking identity measures. A linear model was predicted to better fit the hazardous drinking and implicit identity relationship whereas a non-linear model was predicted to better fit the hazardous drinking and explicit identity relationship due to decreased ability to reflect on changes in identity at high levels of hazardous drinking. The present study is a re-analysis of a large secondary dataset (Project Implicit Mental Health; N = 11,320) which included measures of hazardous drinking (e.g., Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) and implicit/explicit identity. Results were consistent with predictions. The relationship between hazardous drinking and implicit drinking identity was best modeled by a linear function whereas the relationship between hazardous drinking and explicit drinking identity was best modeled by a non-linear cubit spline function. These findings are consistent not only with neurocognitive models but also with dual process formulations that implicit and explicit drinking identity are somewhat related but also quite distinct.

An Exploratory Model of Psychosocial Factors and Healthy Habits in University Students of Physical Education Depending on Gender

(1) Background: Several researches have shown the relationship between healthy habits and physical and mental health. Thus, it is essential to study how some psychosocial factors can promote positive behaviours in university students, specifically in those who will be teachers of Physical Education. (2) Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional research was conducted on 775 university students of Physical Education from Spain. This study aims to develop an explanatory model for the relationships between motivational climate, healthy habits (Mediterranean Diet (MD), Physical Activity (PA) and substance consumption) and some indicators of physical health (oxygen consumption (VO2MAX)) and mental health (self-concept) according to gender, using structural equations analysis. (3) Results: The motivational climate was positively associated with PA, showing a stronger relationship for ego-oriented climate in women. The adherence to MD showed a positive association with PA and self-concept, while it is negative for the consumption of tobacco in men. Likewise, PA was directly related to VO2MAX with a higher regression weight for women. The ego-oriented motivational climate was negatively related to tobacco consumption in women. (4) Conclusions: Task-oriented goals are related to more positive and healthy behaviours such as PA, although it was no association was found with MD. Therefore, we can conclude the importance of promoting task-oriented goals in educational contexts linked to Physical Education in order to avoid negative behaviours.

Evaluating Within-Person Change in Implicit Measures of Alcohol Associations: Increases in Alcohol Associations Predict Increases in Drinking Risk and Vice Versa

Aims

Implicit measures of alcohol associations (i.e. measures designed to assess associations that are fast/reflexive/impulsive) have received substantial research attention. Alcohol associations related to the self (drinking identity), the effects of alcohol (alcohol excite) and appetitive inclinations (alcohol approach) have been found to predict drinking cross-sectionally and over time. A critical next step in this line of research and the goal of this study is to evaluate whether increases in the strength of these associations predict increases in drinking and vice versa. These hypotheses were tested in a sample of first- and second-year US university students: a sample selected because this time period is associated with initiation and escalation of drinking, peak levels of alcohol consumption and severe alcohol-related negative consequences.

Short summary

This study's purpose was to evaluate whether increases in the strength of alcohol associations with the self (drinking identity), excitement (alcohol excite) and approach (alcohol approach) as assessed by implicit measures predicted subsequent increases in drinking risk and vice versa using a longitudinal, university student sample. Results were consistent with hypotheses.

Methods

A sample of 506 students' (57% women) alcohol associations and alcohol consumption were assessed every 3 months over a 2-year period. Participants' consumption was converted to risk categories based on NIAAA's criteria: non-drinkers, low-risk drinkers and high-risk drinkers. A series of cross-lagged panel models tested whether changes in alcohol associations predicted subsequent change in drinking risk (and vice versa).

Results

Across all three measures of alcohol associations, increases in the strength of alcohol associations were associated with subsequent increases in drinking risk and vice versa.

Conclusion

Results from this study indicate bi-directional relationships between increases in alcohol associations (drinking identity, alcohol excite and alcohol approach) and subsequent increases in drinking risk. Intervention and prevention efforts may benefit from targeting these associations.

A Declaration of Independence: Implicit Alcohol Associations Have Independent, not Interactive, Relationships with Alcohol Consumption and AUD Risk

Aims

The current study aimed to test for potential interactive effects of three implicit alcohol-related associations (drinking identity, alcohol approach and alcohol excitement) in predicting concurrent and prospective alcohol consumption and risk of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in two samples of the US undergraduate drinkers and non-drinkers.

Short summary

We investigated the independent and interactive effects of three implicit associations on alcohol consumption and risk of AUD in two US undergraduate student samples. We found that implicit associations had independent but not interactive effects on concurrent and subsequent alcohol consumption and risk of AUD in two independent samples.

Methods

Implicit drinking identity, alcohol approach and alcohol excitement associations were assessed in two US undergraduate student samples (Sample 1: N = 300, 55% female; Sample 2: N = 506, 57% female). Alcohol consumption and risk of AUD were assessed at baseline (Samples 1 and 2) and 3 months later (Sample 2). We fit zero-inflated negative binomial models to test for independent and interactive effects of the three implicit associations on alcohol consumption and risk of AUD.

Results

Although we found multiple, unique main effects for alcohol associations, we found minimal evidence of interactions between implicit alcohol-related associations. There was no reliable evidence of interactions in models in predicting alcohol consumption or risk of AUD, concurrently or prospectively, in either sample.

Conclusions

Contrary to expectations, results from both studies indicated that implicit alcohol-related associations in the US undergraduate samples generally have independent, not interactive, relationships with alcohol consumption and risk of AUD.

Strengthening quitter self-identity: An experimental study

OBJECTIVES

Smoking-related self-identity processes are important for smoking cessation. We examined whether quitter self-identity (i.e. identification with quitting smoking) could be strengthened through a writing exercise, and whether expected social support for quitting, manipulated through vignettes, could facilitate identification with quitting.

DESIGN

Participants (N = 339 daily smokers) were randomly assigned to a 2 (identity: strengthened quitter self-identity vs. control) × 3 (social support: present vs. absent vs. neutral control) between-participants design.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The main outcome was post-test quitter self-identity.

RESULTS

Post-test quitter self-identity was not strengthened successfully. Only a small and marginally significant intervention effect was found on quitter self-identity, which did not generalise to positively influence quit-intention or behaviour. The social support manipulation did not facilitate quitter self-identity. Secondary content analyses showed that quitter self-identity was strengthened among participants who linked quitting smoking to their lifestyle, wanted to become quitters for health reasons, and whose reasons for becoming quitters included approach of positive aspects of quitting, but not among participants who linked quitter self-identity to their self-perceptions.

CONCLUSIONS

Results provide insight into the content of smokers' self-conceptualizations as quitters. Writing exercises should be improved and tested to eventually successfully strengthen quitter identities.

Identity as a cannabis user is related to problematic patterns of consumption among emerging adults

INTRODUCTION

Cannabis use has become a more normative, socially-acceptable behavior in the United States, despite research indicating that frequent use may become problematic for some individuals. Emerging adulthood, a time of identity development, is the most common time for cannabis use. Cannabis self-concept, or one's identification with cannabis as part of their personality or identity, is one factor that may influence use behavior. This study extends previous research that reported a link between self-concept, motivational factors, and normative beliefs by evaluating relationships between cannabis self-concept, motives for use, motivation to change, perceived descriptive norms, as well as cannabis-related outcomes (use, using alone, and cannabis-related problems).

METHODS

Emerging adults who used cannabis in the previous month (n=345, 53.9% male, mean age 21.0, 67.5% Non-Latino White) were recruited from a community sample for a health behaviors study. Participants were assessed for explicit cannabis self-concept, frequency of use, problems associated with use, motives for use, motivation to change, and normative beliefs about others' use.

RESULTS

Participants reported using cannabis on an average of 17.9 (SD=11.1) days of the previous month. Correlational analyses revealed that cannabis self-concept was positively associated with frequency of use, use-related problems, several motives for use, descriptive norms, and with using cannabis alone. Multivariate analyses revealed that rates of use, problems, and social and enhancement motives were independently and positively associated (p<0.05) with cannabis self-concept, while self-concept was negatively associated with desire to reduce cannabis use.

CONCLUSIONS

Cannabis self-concept may be a marker for more problematic patterns of use.

Explicit drinking identity and alcohol problems: The mediating role of drinking to cope

Drinking identity, or the tendency to view one's self as a drinker, is a unique predictor of alcohol use and related consequences among young adults; yet the mechanism by which it leads to alcohol problems is poorly understood. Based on self-presentation and self-verification perspectives, we examined drinking to cope as a mediator of the association between explicit drinking identity and alcohol-related problems among two samples of young adults. Study data come from two large, longitudinal studies. Participants from Sample 1 and Sample 2 included undergraduates (55% and 59% female, respectively) who reported drinking in the previous three months. Tests of the indirect effects indicated that 3-month drinking to cope significantly mediated the positive association between baseline drinking identity and 6-month alcohol-related problems in both samples. In contrast, 3-month drinking identity did not mediate the association between baseline drinking to cope and 6-month alcohol-related problems. Findings indicate that individuals with a stronger drinking identity are more likely to use alcohol to cope and, subsequently, experience more problems. Thus, drinking identity may be an important intervention target for college students as it appears to temporally proceed drinking to cope in the prediction of alcohol-related problems.

Implicit and explicit drinking identity predict latent classes that differ on the basis of college students' drinking behaviors

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to identify distinct classes of college students on the basis of recent and past drinking behaviors and evaluate how implicit and explicit measures of drinking identity predict membership in these classes.

METHODS

US undergraduate students (N=456) completed online implicit (Implicit Association Test) and explicit (self-report) measures of drinking identity and assessments of drinking behaviors, including past month drinking, at-risk drinking in the past year, and lifetime history of intoxication. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify classes of college students based on their drinking behaviors.

RESULTS

LCA identified five classes: (1) Lifetime Nondrinker, (2) Recent Nondrinker/Past Risk, (3) Light Drinker, (4) Moderate Drinker, and (5) Heavy Drinker. Overall, stronger implicit and explicit drinking identities were uniquely associated with greater odds of belonging to classes with greater alcohol consumption and related consequences relative to those classes characterized by lower alcohol consumption and consequences. Notably, explicit drinking identity was positively associated with odds of membership to the Recent Nondrinker/Past Risk class relative to the Lifetime Nondrinker and Light Drinker classes, and implicit and explicit drinking identities were positively associated with odds of membership to the Heavy Drinker class relative to all other classes.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that drinking identity is sensitive to risky drinking experiences in the past, is especially strong among the highest-risk group of college student drinkers, and may be an important cognitive factor to consider as a target for intervention.

Resolving an identity crisis: Implicit drinking identity and implicit alcohol identity are related but not the same

Two variations of the Implicit Association Test (IAT), the Drinking Identity IAT and the Alcohol Identity IAT, assess implicit associations held in memory between one's identity and alcohol-related constructs. Both have been shown to predict numerous drinking outcomes, but these IATs have never been directly compared to one another. The purpose of this study was to compare these IATs and evaluate their incremental predictive validity. US undergraduate students (N=64, 50% female, mean age=21.98years) completed the Drinking Identity IAT, the Alcohol Identity IAT, an explicit measure of drinking identity, as well as measures of typical alcohol consumption and hazardous drinking. When evaluated in separate regression models that controlled for explicit drinking identity, results indicated that the Drinking Identity IAT and the Alcohol Identity IAT were significant, positive predictors of typical alcohol consumption, and that the Drinking Identity IAT, but not the Alcohol Identity IAT, was a significant predictor of hazardous drinking. When evaluated in the same regression models, the Drinking Identity IAT, but not the Alcohol Identity IAT, was significantly associated with typical and hazardous drinking. These results suggest that the Drinking Identity IAT and Alcohol Identity IAT are related but not redundant. Moreover, given that the Drinking Identity IAT, but not the Alcohol Identity IAT, incrementally predicted variance in drinking outcomes, identification with drinking behavior and social groups, as opposed to identification with alcohol itself, may be an especially strong predictor of drinking outcomes.

Evaluating the Relationship between Explicit and Implicit Drinking Identity Centrality and Hazardous Drinking

INTRODUCTION

Drinking identity strength (how strongly one views oneself as a drinker) is a promising risk factor for hazardous drinking. A critical next step is to investigate whether the centrality of drinking identity (i.e., the relative importance of drinking vs. other identity domains, like well-being, relationships, education) also plays a role. Thus, we developed explicit and implicit measures of drinking identity centrality and evaluated them as predictors of hazardous drinking after controlling for explicit drinking identity strength.

METHODS

Two studies were conducted (Ns = 360 and 450, respectively). Participants, who self-identified as full-time students, completed measures of explicit identity strength, explicit and implicit centrality, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Study 1a evaluated two variants of the implicit measure (short- vs. long-format of the Multi-category Implicit Association Test); Study 1b only included the long form and also assessed alcohol consumption.

RESULTS

In Study 1a, implicit and explicit centrality measures were positively and significantly associated with AUDIT scores after controlling for explicit drinking identity strength. There were no significant differences in the implicit measure variants, but the long format had slightly higher internal consistency. In Study 1b, results replicated for explicit, but not implicit, centrality.

CONCLUSIONS

These studies provide preliminary evidence that drinking identity centrality may be an important factor for predicting hazardous drinking. Future research should improve its measurement and evaluate implicit and explicit centrality in experimental and longitudinal studies.