A-121 Drinking Behavior and Impulsivity in College Students

Abstract

Abstract Objective: Individuals with chronic alcohol abuse have been shown to be more impulsive. Our objective in the present study was to assess drinking behavior in healthy college students and examine potential relationships between these drinking habits and impulsive behavior. Method: College students (n = 22) completed a survey about drinking behaviors, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (assessing various subscales of impulsivity), and the Color-Word Inference Test portion of the Delis Kaplan Executive Function System (DKEFS). The Color-Word Inference Test is a variation of the Stroop Test, testing the ability to inhibit prepotent responses. Results: We found a significant relationship (r = 0.428, p = 0.047) between total number of drinks per week (M = 5.59, SD = 5.70) and the Barratt motor impulsiveness subscale (M = 2.12, SD = 0.455). Looking for behavioral evidence of this relationship, we examined this same group with the DKEFS Color-Word Inference Test and found total number of self-corrected errors (M = 0.909, SD = 1.02) was positively associated with total number of drinks consumed per week (r = 0.446, p = 0.037). Conclusion(s): Preliminary results show a relationship between alcohol consumption and motor impulsivity. We propose that greater alcohol consumption may be an indicator that our subjects made errors on the Color-Word Inference Test due to impulsive tendencies and are then catching and correcting their errors soon after they are made. These findings are of interest considering the population examined are young and otherwise healthy college students, suggesting fairly mild but acute effects of moderately heavy alcohol consumption.