Dependence, locus of control, parental bonding, and personality disorders: a study in alcoholics and controls

Impact of Coding Educational Programs (CEP) on Digital Media Problematic Use (DMPU) and on Its Relationship with Psychological Dependence and Emotional Dysregulation

Alongside the positive effects linked to the introduction of digital technologies into our lives, particular dysfunctional behaviors in the use of digital tools have appeared, through which the expression of conditions such as addiction, difficulties in affective and behavioral self-regulation and mental health problems have been channeled. The present study aims to investigate, in a sample of young students aged m = 12.91 (ds = 0.56) years, whether Coding Educational Programs (CEP), deployed to 44.9% of the sample, is effective in psychological dependence, emotional self-regulation and Digital Media Problematic Use (DMPU), as self-assessed through questionnaires (DERS, DSRS, IAT, MPIQ and MPPUS). CEP had no effect on emotional dysregulation or on DMPU. They were effective in the time management of mobile phone use, with students rescheduling from daytime use on working days to daytime use on the weekend. Moreover, people who attended CEP more frequently used smartphones for orienting themselves and for obtaining information. In conclusion, CEP are effective in achieving a more functional and important use of smartphones and better time management. It is possible that CEP effect on metacognition could reduce DMPU if alternative ways to regulate emotions are available.

Teenage locus of control, psychological distress, educational qualifications and occupational prestige as well as gender as independent predictors of adult binge drinking

Our objective was to investigate various psychological and socio-demographic factors in childhood and adulthood that relate to alcohol intake and binge drinking at age 42 years. Data were drawn from the 1970 British Cohort Study (BCS70), a prospective longitudinal study monitoring the development of babies born in 1970, with nine follow-ups. The analytic sample comprised 5190 cohort members with complete data on parental social class at birth, cognitive ability at age 10 years, locus of control at age 16 years, psychological distress at age 30 years, educational qualifications obtained at age 34 years, and current occupation and alcohol consumption at age 42 years. Results showed that sex (male), lower parental social class, adolescent external locus of control, psychological distress, lower scores on childhood intelligence, lower educational qualifications, and less-professional occupations were all significantly and positively associated with binge drinking in adulthood. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses showed that sex (OR = 0.52, CI: 0.44-0.60, p < .001), parental social class (OR = 0.67, CI: 0.50-0.92 to OR = 0.49, CI: 0.31-0.57, p < .05 to p < .01), locus of control beliefs (OR = 0.90, CI: 0.84-0.96, p < .01), adult psychological distress (OR = 1.28, CI: 1.04-1.58, p < .05), educational qualifications (OR = 0.70, CI: 0.53-0.92 to OR = 0.39, CI: 0.25-0.61, p < .05 to p < .001), and occupational prestige (OR = 0.59, CI: 0.38-0.95 to OR = 0.36, CI: 0.20-0.65, p < .05 to p < .01) were all significant and independent predictors of adult binge drinking. Both psychological and socio-demographic factors associated with adult excessive alcohol consumption. Adolescent locus of control beliefs had a significant effect on adult binge drinking 26 years later.

Longitudinal relations between parental drinking problems, family functioning, and child adjustment

Relations between maternal and paternal problem drinking symptoms and destructive marital conflict, parenting problems, and children's internalizing and externalizing problems were investigated. Participants were community families with a child in kindergarten who completed questionnaire measures at baseline (N=235), 1 year later (N=227), and 2 years later (N=215). Structural equation modeling revealed that paternal problem drinking at Time 1 was associated with greater destructive marital conflict 1 year later. In turn, destructive marital conflict was related to decreased parental warmth and increased parental psychological control; these parenting problems were associated with greater child internalizing and externalizing problems at the third time point. Further analyses revealed that the indirect effects of paternal drinking on children's adjustment were significant, and that relations remained even after including autoregressive effects. Findings are discussed in terms of family process models for relations between parental drinking and child adjustment problems.

Genetics and alcoholism among at-risk relatives I: Perceptions of cause, risk, and control

Genetic factors influence a person's risk for developing alcoholism. In other common disorders with a genetic component, a belief in a genetic cause can lead to less perceived control or fatalism among those at risk that may adversely affect undertaking health-promoting behaviors. This study explores beliefs about the cause of alcoholism and risk perception among individuals with affected relatives. In-depth interviews including both open-ended questions and several quantitative measures were conducted with participants to explore the relationships between causal beliefs and perceptions of personal risk and control. Twenty-seven individuals with at least one first-degree relative affected with alcoholism participated. Transcript analysis of interviews revealed that all participants attribute multiple factors to the cause of alcoholism in their families, often as a combination of biological, genetic, environmental factors, and personal characteristics. Many perceived themselves as being 'at-risk,' and this concern often stemmed from a belief in a genetic or biological cause of alcoholism. However, participants also had a strong sense of personal control, rooted in beliefs about environmental causes or personal characteristics influencing alcoholism risk. A participant's strong belief in a genetic cause was associated with a significantly increased risk perception, but not a fatalistic outlook towards developing alcoholism.