Differential Effects of Reward Drive and Rash Impulsivity on the Consumption of a Range of Hedonic Stimuli

The role of decision-making and impulsivity in beverage consumption

Soft drink and alcohol consumption have become significant public health issues. This study aimed to explore the mediating role of decision-making processes in the relationship between trait impulsivity and calorie dense beverage consumption. Participants comprised a community sample of 300 adults (aged 19-75). They completed self-report measures assessing impulsivity (SUPPS-P), reward sensitivity (RST-PQ), and participated in decision-making tasks related to risk propensity (BART), short-term strategy preference (IGT), and delay discounting rate. Beverage consumption was calculated using the BEVQ-15. Impulsivity was conceptualised within the framework of the two-factor model as consisting of rash impulsivity and reward sensitivity. Both facets of impulsivity were positively associated with both alcohol and soft drink consumption, and each independently predicted consumption of these beverages. Additionally, there was a significant interaction between rash impulsivity and reward sensitivity on soft drink consumption. Importantly, there were significant indirect effects of both rash impulsivity and reward sensitivity on soft drink consumption via delay discounting. The results support the logic of the two-factor model of impulsivity in the prediction of consumption of unhealthy beverages. Furthermore, the mediating role of delay discounting supports the hypothesis that personality traits can pass through to behaviour via decision-making processes. Further research should extend these findings to other consumption domains in both clinical and non-clinical populations.

The role of rash impulsivity and sensitivity to reward in soft drink consumption

Soft drink consumption has become a major public health issue. The present study aimed to examine the role of rash impulsivity and reward sensitivity in soft drink consumption using the two-factor model of impulsivity. Participants were a community sample of 229 adults (19-77 years). They completed self-report measures of impulsivity (SUPPS-P), reward sensitivity (RST-PQ) and beverage consumption (BEVQ-15). A principal component analysis was used to produce purer measures of rash impulsivity and reward sensitivity. Both rash impulsivity and reward sensitivity were positively associated with soft drink consumption, and each independently predicted soft drink consumption. Importantly, there was a significant interaction between the two, whereby rash impulsivity moderated the effect of reward sensitivity on soft drink consumption. The results support the logic of the two-factor model of impulsivity in the prediction of soft drink consumption. Further research should extend these findings to other consumption domains in both clinical and non-clinical populations.

Parsing the link between reinforcement sensitivity theory and eating behavior: A systematic review

The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) is a widely studied psychobiological model of personality. RST factors seem to influence eating behavior, but how these personality traits are associated with distinct features of eating behavior is still unclear. In the present systematic review, we analyzed the relationship between RST personality factors and eating behavior using a parsing approach in which BMI-related results, self-reported results, and behavioral results were distinguished. Our analysis revealed that reward and punishment sensitivity seem to correlate and influence distinct features of eating behavior. The association between BMI and RST factors was uncertain, but nonlinear associations between reward sensitivity and weight need further testing. Reward sensitivity was linked to most eating behavior phenotypes (e.g., emotional eating and restrained eating), but only punishment sensitivity was primarily correlated with eating pathology. Reward sensitivity was the main factor linked with reactivity to food stimuli on many behavioral measures. The neurobiological personality factors of RST offer parsimonious concepts to understand eating behavior outcomes and the differential relationships observed are useful to translational research.

The role of rash-impulsivity, emotional dysregulation and reward drive in comorbid disordered eating and substance use disorders

Purpose

Substance use disorder (SUD) frequently co-occurs with other psychological conditions, such as eating disorders (EDs). Psychological factors such as emotional dysregulation, rash impulsivity (RI) and reward sensitivity (RS) play a role in the etiology of each disorder, yet little is known about the combined effects of these on comorbid SUDs and EDs or disordered eating behaviours (DEBs). This study aims to examine the role of these psychological factors in comorbid DEBs and SUDs among individuals in treatment for SUDs. The role of gender is tested as a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional self-report survey was completed by 131 participants attending Australian residential substance use treatment centres. A binomial logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the effects of emotional dysregulation, RI and RS on comorbid DEB and SUD. Further, moderation analyses were used to examine the moderating effect for gender on the relationship between these three personality variables and comorbidity.

Findings

The most commonly reported primary substance of use was alcohol (43.5%), followed by amphetamines (38.6%). Findings showed that emotional dysregulation and RI were significantly related to an increase in comorbidity likelihood; however, RS was not. Gender moderated the relationship between comorbidity and RI only.

Originality/value

The significant positive relationship found between RI and comorbidity for females only was a novel finding for the current study. Further research is needed to develop an understanding of the etiology of comorbidity.

From Impulse to Action? Cognitive Mechanisms of Impulsivity-Related Risk for Externalizing Behavior

Trait impulsivity is an established risk factor for externalizing behavior problems in adolescence, but little is understood about the cognitive mechanisms involved. Negative automatic thoughts are associated with externalizing behaviors and impulsivity is associated with less cognitive reappraisal. This study sought to adapt the bioSocial Cognitive Theory (bSCT) of impulsivity and substance use (an externalizing behavior) for externalizing behavior in general. It was predicted that only the component of impulsivity characterized by lack of forethought (rash impulsiveness; RI) would be associated with (non-substance use-related) externalizing behaviors, not reward sensitivity/drive. Further, this association would be mediated by negative automatic thoughts. Participants were 404 (226 female, 63%) adolescents from 6 high schools across South-East Queensland (age = 13-17 years, mean age = 14.97 years, SD = 0.65 years) of mostly Australian/New Zealand (76%) or European (11%) descent. Participants completed self-report measures of impulsivity, negative automatic thoughts, and externalizing behaviors. Path analysis revealed that, as predicted, only RI was uniquely associated with negative automatic thoughts and externalizing behaviors. However, only negative automatic thoughts centered around hostility mediated the positive association between RI and externalizing behaviors, with the indirect mediation effect being smaller than the direct association. In contrast to substance use, only one component of impulsivity, RI, was associated with general adolescent externalizing behavior. Hostile automatic thoughts may be an important mechanism of risk, supporting a role for cognitive-behavioral interventions. Other biopsychosocial mechanisms are clearly involved and the bSCT may provide a useful framework to guide future research.

Contrasting Effects of Gambling Consumption and Gambling Problems on Subjective Wellbeing

Most research on gambling focuses on the negative consequences associated with excessive consumption, which implicitly leads to a reduction in health and wellbeing. However, few studies have measured subjective wellbeing with respect to gambling involvement, and almost none has attempted to distinguish the separate effects of consumption and problems. We used the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI) in two surveys with different recruitment criteria. Study 1 (N = 1524, 50.6% female) was designed to compare differences in personal wellbeing among gamblers, and Study 2 (N = 1586, 70.2% female) compared wellbeing between gamblers and non-gamblers. Participants provided demographic information, and answered questions allowing them to be grouped into high/low levels of consumption, and problem gambling risk categories. After accounting for gambling problems, higher consumption was associated with higher wellbeing. Study 2 showed consistent results; revealing that both high and low consumption non-problem gamblers (NPGs) had higher personal wellbeing than non-gamblers. Nevertheless, the deleterious effect of gambling problems on wellbeing was larger than the effect of consumption. After accounting for population prevalence (i.e., per capita), only 15.3% of the negative influence of gambling problems on PWI was attributable to problem gamblers; the remainder associated with lower risk categories. Although results were consistent when controlling for demographic covariates, the positive link between consumption and wellbeing may be due to unmeasured variables such as personality traits, health, and socioeconomic status. Nevertheless, the assessment of subjective wellbeing provides a unique perspective on both the positive and negative effects of gambling.

A Multivariate Evaluation of 25 Proximal and Distal Risk-Factors for Gambling-Related Harm

Individual differences in the risk of developing gambling-related harm play an important role in theoretical models and practical interventions. The present study attempted comprehensive measurement and evaluation of 25 known risk factors for gambling-related harm in order to determine which factors provided large and unique explanatory power. We surveyed 1650 regular gamblers from an online panel, screening in 1174 (466 male) who passed all checks of attention and response consistency. We evaluated each risk factor based on bivariate correlations with harms, then made separate multivariate evaluations of proximal (e.g., gambling motivations) and distal (e.g., religiosity) risk factors. Almost all bivariate correlations were significant, but most distal factors were not significant in multivariate models. Trait impulsivity was the most important risk factor by a large margin. Excessive consumption, less use of safe gambling practices, and more fallacies were key proximal risks of harm. Many well-known correlates of gambling harm (e.g., youth, lower educational attainment) do not show a direct role in the development of gambling harm when controlling for other factors. The results support theoretical models that emphasise early conditioning and biological vulnerability (manifested through impulsivity). Since maladaptive cognitive and behavioural schemas appear to be more important than motivations (e.g., escape, excitement, ego), interventions may benefit by targeting these proximal drivers of harm.

Impulsivity facets and substance use initiation: A comparison of two models of impulsivity

Several types of impulsivity have been linked to various substance use outcomes. The UPPS-P framework has received major focus within the field of substance use research. However, this framework is not without limitation. An alternative framework is the Two-Factor Model of impulsivity, which posits that rash impulsivity and reward drive are the central, if not sufficient, domains of impulsivity. Unfortunately, the extant literature is quite limited in terms of work that have directly compared the UPPS-P framework to the Two-Factor Model of impulsivity, particularly in prospective designs focused on the initiation of common, problematic forms of substance use among adolescents (i.e., alcohol and marijuana use). In the current study, the UPPS-P measures were compared to dedicated measures of the Two-Factor Model of impulsivity in a sample of Chilean adolescents who were lifetime abstainers of alcohol or marijuana use at baseline (N = 541) to predict the initiation of use for these substances at a one-year follow-up. Results showed that the Two-Factor Model had superior predictive utility compared to the UPPS-P measures, and only rash impulsivity and reward drive were significant predictors in a multivariate model that simultaneously considered UPPS-P and Two-Factor Model assessments. Overall, the current findings indicate that the Two-Factor Model should be considered to index risk of substance use initiation to guide prevention efforts and highlight the importance of direct comparisons of alternative measurement and theoretical frameworks of impulsivity within the field of substance use research.