Negative urgency and alcohol-related problems: indirect links with alcohol expectancies and drinking motives

Abstract

Negative Urgency (NU), the tendency to act rashly during negative emotional states, is associated with alcohol misuse through various alcohol cognitions; however, these relationships are often examined in isolation and exclude certain alcohol cognitions. Objective: This study simultaneously modeled NU's association with alcohol-related problems through (a) beliefs about the likelihood of experiencing positive or negative effects from alcohol (i.e., expectancies), (b) desirability of alcohol's positive or negative effects (i.e., valuations), and (c) reasons for consuming alcohol (i.e., drinking motives). Methods: Participants (N = 565) completed measures of NU, expectancies, valuations, drinking motives, and alcohol problems online. Results: NU was indirectly associated with alcohol-related problems through coping motives, positive expectancies, and enhancement motives. Despite a positive association between NU and negative valuations, NU was not associated with alcohol-related problems through valuations. Conclusions: These results further researchers' understanding of how NU is associated with modifiable alcohol cognitions, with clear implications for informing treatment and future research.

Keywords: Negative Urgency; alcohol expectancies; alcohol valuations; alcohol-related problems; drinking motives.

Figure 1.

Hypothesized direct and indirect effects of negative urgency on alcohol-related problems through alcohol cognitions (“+”=positive effect). P/NAOE=Positive/Negative Alcohol Outcome Expectancies. P/NAEV=Positive/Negative Alcohol Expectancy Valuations. “x” indicates interaction. Interaction terms indicate multiplicative effects; for example, high negative urgency participants with higher negative expectancies and valuations would ultimately be expected to have higher alcohol-related problems than participants with solely high negative expectancies or valuations.

Figure 2.

N=565. SEM paths with standardized coefficients. All paths presented were significant (***p<.001, **p<.01, *p<.05). Dashed paths through indicate significant indirect effects. Significant positive covariances among latent factors specified but not pictured for interpretation: coping and enhancement motives; all possible covariances across alcohol expectancy and valuation factors.