The Enlightenment and Its Negative Consequences

This study extends previous research on masculinity and negative drinking consequences among young men by considering mediating effects of heavy episodic drinking (HED) and alcohol expectancies. We hypothesized that masculinity would have a direct relationship with negative consequences from drinking as well as indirect relationships mediated by HED and alcohol expectancies of courage, risk, and aggression. A random sample of 1,436 college and university men ages 19-25 years completed an online survey, including conformity to masculine norms, alcohol-related expectancies, HED, and negative drinking consequences. Regression analyses and structural equation modeling were used. Six of seven dimensions of masculinity and the alcohol expectancy scales were significantly associated with both HED and negative consequences. In multivariate regression models predicting HED and negative consequences, the playboy and violence dimensions of masculinity and the risk/aggression alcohol expectancy remained significant. HED and the risk-taking dimension of masculinity were also significant in the model predicting negative consequences. The structural equation model indicated that masculinity was directly associated with HED and negative consequences but also influenced negative consequences indirectly through HED and alcohol expectancies. The findings suggest that, among young adult male college and university students, masculinity is an important factor related to both HED and drinking consequences, with the latter effect partly mediated by HED and alcohol expectancies. Addressing male norms about masculinity may help to reduce HED and negative consequences from drinking.

PurposeNew types of manufactured goods can have disbenefits and negative consequences, as well as benefits and positive consequences. However, disbenefits and negative consequences have received little consideration within manufacturing literature related to new product development (NPD). The purpose of this paper is to provide preliminary analysis, and propose improvements to NPD screening processes, which can facilitate reduction of disbenefits and negative consequences that can arise from new manufactured goods.Design/methodology/approachThe research comprised a review of the literature relating to: new product development processes; disbenefits of manufactured goods; and negative consequences arising from manufactured goods.FindingsThere is often broad consensus about the disbenefits of manufactured goods. However, some disbenefits are not stopped before they have contributed to potentially irreversible negative global consequences. This can be because there is often disagreement about, for example, the composition and extent of negative consequences.Practical implicationsNPD processes should be improved to facilitate reduction of disbenefits and negative consequences. In particular, the screening of new manufactured goods as they progress from idea to concept to development should be improved.Originality/valueThe originality of the paper is that it provides descriptions of underlying characteristics that differentiate disbenefits and negative consequences. These descriptions can enable better understanding of how negative unintended consequences arise from the introduction of new types of manufactured goods. The value of this paper is that it proposes improvements to NPD screening processes that can facilitate reduction of disbenefits and their negative consequences.

Acute effects of subjective alcohol effects and negative alcohol consequences on next-day positive alcohol expectancies.

The purpose of this study was to establish the frequency of positive and negative alcohol-related consequences during the first year of college and to evaluate gender, race/ethnicity, time of year, alcohol use, and intoxication as predictors of consequences using frequent assessments. Participants (N = 1,053; 57.5% female) completed biweekly assessments of alcohol use and positive and negative alcohol-related consequences throughout the year. The majority of drinkers reported both positive and negative consequences. Having a good time and feeling less stressed were the most commonly reported positive consequences. Blackouts and getting physically sick were the most commonly endorsed negative consequences. At the weekly level, number of drinking days, drinks per drinking day, and estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC, reflecting intoxication) were significantly related to all consequences after controlling for demographics and time of year. Negative consequences had stronger associations with number of drinks and eBAC than positive consequences did. With each additional drink consumed on a drinking day, the incidence of negative consequences more than doubled (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 2.34, 95% CI [2.19, 2.50]), whereas the incidence of positive consequences increased by about half (IRR = 1.51, 95% CI [1.47, 1.56]). The consequence with the largest gender difference was regretted sex, with women reporting it more often. Few racial/ethnic differences were found in report of negative consequences. Greater positive and negative consequences were endorsed at the beginning of both academic semesters. As number of drinks and eBAC increase, the relative odds of a negative consequence are higher than that of a positive consequence. Alcohol interventions could promote greater awareness of the likelihood of specific consequences and could highlight that positive consequences are associated with lower levels of drinking.

Relations between impulsive personality traits, alcohol and cannabis co-use, and negative alcohol consequences: A test of cognitive and behavioral mediators

Simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use is common, but observational studies examining negative consequences of simultaneous use have rarely considered dose-related interactions between alcohol and cannabis. This study examined interactions between quantities of cannabis and alcohol consumed in predicting negative consequences on simultaneous use days. Young adults (N = 151; 64% female; 62% White) reporting recent simultaneous use and at least weekly alcohol and cannabis use completed 21 daily, smartphone-based surveys assessing previous day quantities of cannabis and alcohol used, types of cannabis used (flower, concentrates, edibles), and negative substance-related consequences. Multilevel models examined: (1) whether negative consequences differed within-person across simultaneous use days and single-substance use days; and (2) whether quantities of alcohol and cannabis consumed on simultaneous use days interacted, within-person, to predict negative consequences. We focused on quantities of cannabis flower (grams) in primary analyses and explored quantities of other forms of cannabis (concentrates, edibles) in supplementary analyses. Participants reported fewer negative consequences on alcohol-only (243 observations) and cannabis-only (713 observations) days than they did on simultaneous use days (429 observations). On simultaneous use days involving cannabis flower use (313 observations across 81 participants), the within-person association between number of standard drinks and negative consequences was weaker on days during which larger (vs. smaller) amounts of cannabis flower were consumed. Inspection of simple slopes revealed that decreased alcohol use was associated with less of a decline in negative consequences when combined with relatively greater amounts of cannabis flower. Although simultaneous use was associated with more negative consequences than alcohol-only and cannabis-only use, negative consequences on simultaneous use days varied as a function of the interaction between alcohol and cannabis quantities. As findings suggest that using larger amounts of cannabis may attenuate declines in negative consequences associated with lighter drinking, interventions for higher-risk simultaneous use patterns may benefit from a focus on quantities of both alcohol and cannabis.

Effects of depressive symptoms and coping motives on naturalistic trends in negative and positive alcohol-related consequences

BackgroundAlthough alcohol is socially accepted in most Western societies, studies are clear about its associated negative consequences, especially among university and college students. Studies on the relationship between alcohol-related consequences and both beverage type and drinking onset, however, are scarce, especially in a European context. The aim of this research was, therefore, twofold: (1) What is the relationship between beverage type and the negative consequences experienced by students? and (2) Are these consequences determined by early drinking onset? We will examine these questions within the context of a wide range of alcohol-related consequences.MethodsThe analyses are based on data collected by the inter-university project ‘Head in the clouds?’, measuring alcohol use among students in Flanders (Belgium). In total, a large dataset consisting of information from 19,253 anonymously participating students was available. Negative consequences were measured using a shortened version of the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey (CADS_D). Data were analysed using negative binomial regression.ResultsResults vary depending on the type of alcohol-related consequences: Personal negative consequences occur frequently among daily beer drinkers. However, a high rate of social negative consequences was recorded for both daily beer drinkers and daily spirits drinkers. Finally, early drinking onset was significantly associated with both personal and social negative consequences, and this association was especially strong between beer and spirits drinking onset and social negative consequences.ConclusionsNumerous negative consequences, both personal and social, are related to frequent beer and spirits drinking. Our findings indicate a close association between drinking beer and personal negative consequences as well as between drinking beer and/or spirits and social negative consequences. Similarly, early drinking onset has a major influence on the rates of both personal and social negative consequences. The earlier students started drinking, the more negative consequences they experienced during college or university. Several (policy) interventions are discussed. This study is the first to incorporate detailed information on both beverage type and drinking onset, and its associated negative consequences, as measured by the CADS_D, in a large student population.

Self-reported perceived negative consequences of marijuana use among U.S. young adult users, 2008–2019

Recent studies suggest that solitary (but not social) drinking may confer risk for negative alcohol consequences via beliefs about alcohol's ability to reduce tension, and explicit motivations to drink to cope with negative mood states. However, because prior studies are largely cross-sectional, it is unclear if tension reduction expectancies and drinking to cope are antecedents or consequences of solitary drinking. The current study aimed to address this gap in the literature using prospective data (3 waves across 12 months) from a sample of moderate to heavy drinking young adults. Data were drawn from a larger investigation of contextual influences on subjective alcohol response. Participants (N = 448) reported on alcohol use in multiple drinking contexts and tension reduction expectancies at baseline (T1), drinking motives at a 6-month follow-up (T2), and past-month negative alcohol consequences at a 12-month follow-up (T3). We examined potential indirect effects of drinking contexts on negative consequences operating through alcohol expectancies and drinking motives. Solitary drinking was indirectly associated with later negative consequences through stronger coping motives, although tension reduction expectancies did not serve as a significant mediator. Social drinking was not directly or indirectly related to later alcohol consequences. Results suggest that solitary drinking contexts confer risk for negative consequences through coping motives, and that these effects are invariant across sex, race, and ethnicity. These findings have important clinical implications as they suggest that targeting solitary drinkers for skills-based coping interventions may reduce risk for a developmental trajectory toward negative alcohol consequences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Intercollegiate athletes consume more alcohol and experience more negative alcohol-related consequences than nonathletes. The purpose of this study was to determine if drinking motives accounted for variability among intercollegiate athletes in experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences, and to analyze how the strength and patterns of the relationship between individual drinking motives and negative consequences varied among the different consequences. Self-report data were analyzed on 206 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletes (55% female), selected from a large, midwestern university, who reported drinking alcohol in the past year. Participants completed the Drinking Motives Measure and the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey. Drinking motives accounted for variability in experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences. Drinking for coping reasons displayed the strongest relationship with most of the negative consequences, but for some consequences social and enhancement motives displayed relationships with the consequences that were either similar to or stronger than those of the coping motives. This research demonstrated that drinking motives in general are useful predictors of negative alcohol-related consequences among a yet unstudied population, intercollegiate athletes. The findings suggest that drinking for negatively reinforcing reasons (i.e., coping motives) is generally the strongest motivational predictor of alcohol-related consequences, although the relative strength of individual motives in predicting consequences can vary depending upon the content of an individual consequence.

Alcohol use during young adulthood may reflect a learning process whereby positive and negative alcohol-related experiences and interpretations of those experiences drive subsequent behavior. Understanding the effect of consequences and the evaluation of consequences could be informative for intervention approaches. The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which the number of positive and negative alcohol consequences experienced and the evaluation of those consequences predict subsequent alcohol use and consequences in college students. Students at 3 colleges (N = 679) completed biweekly web-based surveys on alcohol use, positive and negative consequences, and consequence evaluations for 2 academic years. Hierarchical linear modeling tested whether consequences and evaluations in a given week predicted changes in alcohol use and consequences at the next assessment. Moderation by gender and class year were also evaluated. Evaluating past-week negative consequences more negatively than one's average resulted in decreases in alcohol use at the next assessment. More negative evaluation of negative consequences was followed in the subsequent observation by a higher number of positive consequences for females but not for males. A higher number of positive consequences in a given week was followed by a higher number of both positive and negative consequences in the subsequent observation. Number of negative consequences experienced and evaluation of positive consequences had no effect on later behavior. Salient negative consequences may drive naturalistic reductions in alcohol use, suggesting the possible efficacy of programs designed to increase the salience of the negative effects of alcohol.

The current study examined the extent to which within-person variation in drinking motives differentiates moderate, binge, and high-intensity drinking; and independent associations of motives and drinking intensity with alcohol use consequences in a sample of young adult drinkers from across the United States. Participants were past 30-day drinkers in the U.S. nationally representative Monitoring the Future 12th grade sample in 2018, who also reported alcohol use during a 14-day data collection burst 1year later (N=484 people, mean age 19.3 [SD 0.40], 43% female; N=1042 drinking days) as part of the Young Adult Daily Life Study in 2019. Weighted multilevel modeling estimated within- and between-person associations of drinking motives, drinking intensity (i.e., moderate [women 1-3, men 1-4 drinks], binge [women 4-7, men 5-9 drinks], and high-intensity drinking [women 8+, men 10+ drinks]), and number of positive and negative alcohol consequences. On days participants reported greater enhancement and social motives, they were more likely to engage in high-intensity (vs. binge) drinking and binge (vs. moderate) drinking and experience more positive alcohol consequences. On days participants reported greater enhancement and coping motives, they experienced more negative alcohol consequences. Binge (vs. moderate) drinking on a given day was associated with more positive and negative alcohol consequences; high-intensity (vs. binge) drinking on a given day was associated with more negative alcohol consequences that day. Moderation analyses indicated that social motives were associated with high-intensity (vs. binge) drinking only among college students. Stronger drinking motives on a given day were associated with drinking intensity (enhancement and social motives) and negative consequences (enhancement and coping). High-intensity (vs. binge or moderate) drinking was associated with more negative consequences but not more positive consequences. These results underscore that high-intensity drinking and consequences vary across days and time-varying, occasion-specific risks such as current motivational context are appropriate targets for intervention.

Background: Heavy episodic drinking (HED) and negative drinking consequences represent prevalent and serious health concerns for college students. Depressive symptoms may elevate students’ risk for engaging in HED and experiencing negative consequences, but levels of risk may vary by executive function (EF) capabilities. Growing evidence suggests that EF deficits are associated with comorbid depressive symptoms and alcohol misuse. Nevertheless, little is known about unique and shared risks that depressive symptoms and EF may interactively pose for HED and negative drinking consequences. Methods: To address these gaps, the study assessed depressive symptoms, multiple domains of EF via multimethod approach, HED, and negative drinking consequences in a sample of 446 undergraduate students. Mediated moderation models were conducted to examine associations between depressive symptoms and alcohol use behaviors and modulating roles of EF. Results: Depressive symptoms, poor planning, and self-reported executive dysfunction were significantly associated with HED and negative drinking consequences. HED mediated the effect of depressive symptoms and executive dysfunction on negative consequences. A significant interaction indicated that better EF (i.e. low or average self-reported executive dysfunction) may buffer the risk depressive symptoms present for negative drinking consequences. Conclusions: The current findings suggest that among college students, risk and resilience factors for HED and negative drinking consequences may vary. Effective EF capabilities may be especially helpful for reducing students’ risk for more serious drinking consequences.

Concurrent and simultaneous cannabis and alcohol co-use confers risk for daily negative alcohol consequences. However, studies often treat co-use as a dichotomy, precluding examination of higher- and lower-risk co-use days. Additionally, little is known about specific alcohol consequences associated with daily co-use. Therefore, the current study 1) differentiated days based upon alcohol consumption, co-use, and simultaneous use, and 2) tested whether certain day-level use patterns conferred risk for daily alcohol consequences. College student co-users (N=489) completed an online Timeline Followback, reporting daily alcohol consumption, negative alcohol consequences, concurrent cannabis and alcohol co-use, and simultaneous co-use (SAM) on drinking days over the past month. Day-Level Latent Profile Analysis differentiated days based upon drinking quantity, co-use, and simultaneous use, and tested whether patterns of use conferred risk for overall and specific negative alcohol consequences. Four day-level profiles emerged, including moderate consumption of alcohol-only days (57.5%), moderate consumption SAM use days (29.1%), higher consumption alcohol-only days (7.4%), and higher consumption SAM use days (6%). Higher consumption SAM use days were associated with more negative alcohol consequences than all other days; however, higher consumption SAM use days differed from higher consumption alcohol-only days in acute dependence symptoms. Higher consumption alcohol-only days were associated with more negative alcohol consequences than moderate consumption SAM days, particularly those that were action-oriented (i.e., dependence symptoms, blackout drinking, impaired control, risky behavior, social/interpersonal consequences). Findings suggest that there are in fact lower-risk co-use days, and that links with unique negative alcohol consequences depend on levels of alcohol consumption and co-use.