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. 2016 May;77(3):473-82.
doi: 10.15288/jsad.2016.77.473.

Impulsive Personality and Alcohol Use: Bidirectional Relations Over One Year

Alison Kaiser  1 , Jacqueline A Bonsu  1 , Richard J Charnigo  2 , Richard Milich  1 , Donald R Lynam  3
Affiliations

Impulsive Personality and Alcohol Use: Bidirectional Relations Over One Year

Alison Kaiser et al. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2016 May.

Abstract

Objective: Impulsive personality traits have been found to be robust predictors of substance use and problems in both cross-sectional and longitudinal research. Studies examining the relations of substance use and impulsive personality over time indicate a bidirectional relation, where substance use is also predictive of increases in later impulsive personality. The present study sought to build on these findings by examining the bidirectional relations among the different impulsive personality traits assessed by the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, with an interest in urgency (the tendency to act rashly when experiencing strong affect).

Method: Participants were 525 first-year college students (48.0% male, 81.1% White), who completed self-report measures assessing personality traits and a structured interview assessing past and current substance use. Data collection took place at two different time points: the first occurred during the participants' first year of college, and the second occurred approximately 1 year later. Bidirectional relations were examined using structural equation modeling.

Results: Time 1 (T1) positive urgency predicted higher levels of alcohol use at Time 2 (T2), whereas T1 lack of perseverance predicted lower levels of alcohol use at T2. T1 alcohol use predicted higher levels of positive urgency, negative urgency, sensation seeking, and lack of premeditation at T2.

Conclusions: Findings provide greater resolution in characterizing the bidirectional relation between impulsive personality traits and substance use.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Final bidirectional model. T1 = Time 1; T2 = Time 2; err = error term. Covariances among T1 variables and T2 error terms are not shown. Significant relations are shown as solid lines, and nonsignificant relations are shown as dashed lines. Beta values are included for significant bidirectional relations but not for nonsignificant relations or stability coefficients.
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