Drinking Motives Research Articles

Validation of a Questionnaire of Motivations for Moderated and Severe Alcohol Consumption Among College Students

Objective: This work aimed to develop and validate a scale to assess motivations for alcohol drinking among Mexican college students. Methods: The scale design consisted of applying a stimulus phrase to assess motivations for moderate alcohol drinking (up to three drinks per occasion) and severe alcohol consumption (four or more drinks) in 130 college students. The semantic network technique was applied to identify 15 defining motivations (with more considerable semantic weight) for each drinking level, constituting the pilot scale. The pilot scale was validated on 307 students from a public university in Mexico (255 with moderate drinking and 82 with severe consumption). Results: The final number of items per level of drinking was 10 (moderate drinking) and 13 (severe consumption). Internal reliability (Cronbach’s alpha) for the first one was 0.886 with three factors that explain 57.5% of the total variance; the second had an alpha of 0.884 with four factors that explain 70.5% of the total variance. All the factors had positive correlations with the risk perception for alcohol drinking, and there was a positive correlation between severe consumption motivation and the risk perception for consumption of other substances. The confirmatory factor analysis showed that the proposed theoretical models adjust to the data with an error of approximately zero (i.e., RMSEA of 0.088 for moderate consumption and 0.074 for severe consumption), which also carefully measures the motivation for moderate and severe alcohol consumption among college students. Conclusions: The new scale is valid and reliable for assessing motivations for moderate and severe alcohol consumption in Mexican college students. This may be a valuable tool to design and evaluate interventions for the prevention of alcohol use among college students.

The association between pain and negative alcohol-related consequences among college students engaged in binge drinking: The moderating role of reward and relief drinking motives

The association between pain and negative alcohol-related consequences among college students engaged in binge drinking: The moderating role of reward and relief drinking motives

How drinking motives mediate associations between sexual orientation and indicators of alcohol use - a study among young Swiss men.

Individuals with a minority sexual orientation have consistently been found to face a greater risk of mental health problems and problematic substance use than heterosexual individuals. The present study examined whether differences in alcohol use or alcohol use disorder (AUD) symptoms across the spectrum of sexual orientations could be explained by drinking motives (i.e., enhancement, social, coping and conformity motives). A non-self-selective sample of non-abstinent, young Swiss men (N = 5,139; mean age = 25.4, SD = 1.25) completed a self-reporting questionnaire on sexual orientation (on a five-point attraction scale: heterosexual, mostly-heterosexual, bisexual, mostly-homosexual, homosexual), drinking motives, alcohol use indicators (e.g., heavy episodic drinking, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption [AUDIT-C]), and AUD symptoms. Structural equation modeling was used to test whether drinking motives mediated the associations between dummy-coded sexual orientation (with heterosexual men as the reference) and alcohol use indicators or AUD symptoms. Mostly-heterosexual men exhibited higher scores on alcohol use indicators than heterosexual men, with almost full mediation through their drinking motives, specifically higher enhancement motives. They also reported more AUD symptoms, partially mediated through drinking motives, with comparable contributions from enhancement and coping motives. Homosexual men, however, displayed similar or lower scores for alcohol use indicators and AUD symptoms than heterosexual men, but these differences were not mediated by drinking motives. Indeed, homosexual men exhibited greater coping motives than heterosexual men. No significant results or discernible patterns emerged for bisexual or mostly-homosexual men. These findings highlight the importance of considering the full spectrum of sexual orientations in healthcare and of broadening the focus on drinking motives beyond coping. Understanding the varied motives for alcohol use across the spectrum of sexual orientations facilitates tailored prevention strategies.

Role of Momentary Alcohol Cognitions in Event-Level Relations Between PTSD Symptoms and Alcohol Outcomes: Le rôle des cognitions momentanées liées à l'alcool au niveau de l'événement entre les symptômes du TSPT et la consommation d'alcool.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) commonly co-occur. Momentary alcohol cognitions may represent in-the-moment, modifiable risk factors to target in interventions for comorbid PTSD and AUD. However, the role of such cognitions in risk for problematic drinking as it emerges in response to individuals' fluctuating PTSD symptoms across their daily lives remains unknown. The present study aimed to test whether state-level PTSD-alcohol expectancies and/or drinking motives modulate in-the-moment associations between PTSD symptoms and alcohol outcomes. Frequent drinking adults with current PTSD (n = 54) reported on their posttraumatic symptoms and alcohol cognitions, craving, and consumption during four momentary surveys each day for 14 days (3,024 observations) in an ecological momentary assessment design. Multilevel moderation analyses tested whether in-the-moment PTSD-alcohol expectancies and/or drinking motives moderated relations of PTSD symptoms with alcohol craving and consumption. Findings demonstrated a significant interaction between PTSD symptoms and coping drinking motives on in-the-moment alcohol craving. Specifically, greater experience of PTSD symptoms related more strongly to craving for alcohol during events in which drinkers endorsed higher levels of coping drinking motives. There were no additional interaction effects for drinking motives or PTSD-alcohol expectancies on either alcohol craving or consumption. Coping drinking motives appear to convey strong in-the-moment risk for PTSD-related alcohol craving yet not subsequent alcohol consumption. Future research should delineate concurrent alcohol risk and possible protective processes active in the presence of PTSD symptoms to help identify targets for interventions tailored to the unique risk processes maintaining comorbid PTSD and AUD.

The effects of hypothetical psychological interventions on alcohol use in European young adults

Abstract Background Low psychosocial well-being (PWB) and high emotion-driven impulsiveness (EDI) are associated with alcohol. Yet, it is unclear whether a hypothetical intervention targeting one or the other in adolescence might be more effective in reducing alcohol consumption (AC) in young adulthood. Therefore, we aimed to compare the separate causal effects of PWB and EDI in adolescence on AC in young adulthood. Methods We included 505 European young adults from the IDEFICS/I.Family cohort (mean age: 20.2 years; age range: 18.2-23.5 years) who did not drink alcohol at study entry. AC was operationalized as the amount of weekly consumed alcoholic beverages (mean: 4.2 drinks per week; range: 0.3-70 drinks per week). EDI was assessed using the negative urgency subscale from the UPPS-P Impulsive Behaviour Scale. PWB was assessed using the KINDLR Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire. Following the principles of target trial emulation, we estimated, separately, the average causal effects of PWB and EDI on AC accounting for relevant confounders and applying a semi-parametric doubly robust method (targeted maximum likelihood estimation). We stratified the results by sex and parental education. Results If all adolescents, hypothetically, had high levels of PWB, compared to low levels, we estimated a decrease in the average amount of alcoholic beverages in young adulthood by 0.1 drinks per week [95%-confidence interval: -2.3; 2.1]. Furthermore, if all adolescents had low levels of EDI, compared to high levels, we estimated an increase in alcoholic beverages in young adulthood by 1.5 drinks per week [0.1; 2.9]. Different effects for sex and parental education groups were found. Conclusions Hypothetical interventions targeting PWB in adolescents were not found to have effects on reducing AC in young adulthood. Interventions targeting EDI, however, would lead to an increase in AC. This may be due to unmeasured confounding and the missing distinction between drinking motives. Key messages • We demonstrate that causal inference methods, compared to traditional ones, improve the robustness of estimated effect measures and address important sources of bias in European cohort data. • To inform public health interventions on reducing alcohol consumption, future research should investigate different drinking motives, e.g. alleviating negative emotions or enhancing positive emotions.

Motives for alcohol use across the 24 hours prior to a suicide attempt.

Acute alcohol use is a risk factor for suicidal behavior. This study examined sources of variance (between-person, within-person) in hour-to-hour self-reported alcohol consumption and drinking motives and assessed the interrelations of different motives for alcohol use across the 24 hr preceding a suicide attempt. This multisite study utilized interview data obtained retrospectively from adult patients hospitalized following a suicide attempt. The current analysis examined participants (n = 110) who reported using alcohol within 24 hr of the attempt (Mage = 39.59; 48.2% female, 72.7% White; 4.5% Hispanic/Latinx). Participants reported suicide-facilitative drinking motives using three items from the Suicide Facilitative Drinking Motives Scale and reported typical, nonfacilitative motives using three items from the Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised. Data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling. Most variance in reported drinking motives occurred between participants, though there was substantial within-person variability. Within-person increases in alcohol use were associated with suicide-facilitative motives for alcohol use, but not nonfacilitative motives. Social and enhancement motives were consistently negatively associated with facilitative motives, while coping motives were positively associated with reported drinking to reduce fear regarding suicide. Results suggest the assessment of motives for alcohol use in at-risk patients may provide key clinical targets (i.e., the function of drinking) for preventing suicidal behavior. When alcohol is consumed for coping motives or used to facilitate suicidal behavior, it is particularly concerning and warrants clinical intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Efficacy of Ecological Momentary Intervention Tailored to Drinking Motives for Reducing Problematic Drinking in Young Adults

Background: Brief interventions can inform young problematic drinkers about the risks associated with alcohol use. Ecological Momentary Interventions (EMIs), which provide feedback closer to the point of drinking, may help to translate the internal changes made from these brief interventions into actual behavior.Methods: Thirty-six problematic drinkers aged 19∼34 years were randomly assigned to one of three groups: Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), Standard EMI, or Tailored EMI. Participants in all groups completed two daily EMAs for four weeks following a single-session intervention. They reported their drinking intentions and motives for the current day, and their alcohol consumption and drinking motives from the previous day. The Standard EMI group received feedback on the general negative consequences of drinking, while the Tailored EMI group received feedback specifically tailored to their drinking motives based on their EMA responses.Results: Problematic drinking, along with related variables (e.g., drinking behavior, alcohol consumption, negative consequences, alcohol expectancies, and drinking motives) was reduced across all groups.Conclusions: Further research is needed on the potential of monitoring drinking behavior to reduce problematic drinking and how to improve tailored EMI.

Positive and Negative Pathways Linking Depressive Symptoms to Problematic Alcohol Use Among Argentinian College Students: An Examination of Positive and Negative Urgency Traits and Internal Drinking Motives

ABSTRACT Growing evidence suggests the tendency to act rashly under positive and negative emotions and affect-related drinking motives connect symptoms of mood disorders with alcohol-related problems. However, studies examining this sequence are scarce in Latin-American samples. The present study evaluated, in Argentinian college students (n = 403; 68.2% women; Mage = 21.03 ± 4.90), a sequential model of symptoms of depression, urgency traits, internal drinking motives, and problematic alcohol use. Path analysis was conducted to examine the direct and indirect associations between symptoms of depression and problematic alcohol use (heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related negative consequences) via positive and negative urgency traits and internal drinking motives. Findings revealed indirect associations from depressive symptoms to problematic alcohol use via urgency traits and drinking motives (e.g. depression symptoms→positive [negative] urgency→enhancement [coping]→drinking problems). This suggests that students who experience more symptoms of depression may be more likely to react to these experiences of negative affect by engaging in heavy drinking episodes and encounter more alcohol-related problems. This seems to stem from a higher propensity to act rashly during intense emotional experiences and a greater motivation to drink as a means of regulating their mood. Future interventions aimed at preventing or reducing problematic alcohol use (especially among Argentinian young adults) might consider targeting these specific impulsivity traits as well as affect-related drinking motivations.

Latent Profiles of Drinking Motives Among Trauma-Exposed Combat Veterans and Civilians: A Comparative Investigation.

Trauma exposure and drinking motives (e.g., social, enhancement, coping) are both associated with increased alcohol use and related problems. Studies have frequently investigated this relationship by examining drinking motives, such as drinking to cope with negative affect, in isolation, yet few studies have examined motives simultaneously in trauma-exposed populations. It is also unclear whether the relationship between drinking motives and alcohol use outcomes differs as a function of population characteristics (e.g., gender, trauma type). Using latent profile analysis (LPA), we aimed to 1) identify latent profiles characterized by drinking motives, assessed with the Drinking Motives Questionnaire (DMQ), in two samples: primarily male veterans with combat trauma (N=174) and civilians with interpersonal trauma (N=152), and 2) determine whether associations with alcohol use outcomes of consumption and binge drinking would differ by sample. A 3-class solution was replicated across both samples: profiles characterized by moderate Social scores and low Enhancement and Coping scores (Low ENH/COP), moderate scores across all domains (Medium DMQ), and elevated scores across all domains (High DMQ). In both samples, profile membership was differentially associated with consumption and binge drinking. Findings suggest patterns of drinking motives may be similar across different trauma-exposed populations, but associations with alcohol outcomes likely differ in meaningful ways. Results can help inform targeted interventions at different treatment settings, such as community health centers or VA hospitals.

Exploring the Sport–Alcohol Relationship: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study of Student-Athlete Drinking Following the Transition out of University

The purpose of this study was to provide new knowledge about the temporal and contextual aspects of the alcohol–sport relationship. Eight U.K. student-athletes completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test in their final year at university, 18 months, and 30 months after graduation. They also completed semistructured interviews about their drinking motives, behaviors, and life circumstances. Results showed that participants reduced their alcohol consumption after leaving university, but despite the onset of some adult responsibilities, most were still drinking at hazardous levels. After university, drinking took place with old friends, new colleagues, and new sporting teammates. At all time points, social drinking motives were the most prevalent. Findings demonstrate a relationship between alcohol and sport that is cemented at university but continues beyond it. Targeted interventions to reduce the role of alcohol in the social experience of sport are needed to support long-term athlete health.

An exploratory analysis of drinking motives and alcohol-related problems among Hispanic college students

The increase in college enrollment for Hispanic college students warrants increased attention to their health and wellness. Given that a common threat to health and well-being in college students is alcohol use and that Hispanic college students are at elevated risk for alcohol-related problems, it is essential to investigate factors that might lead to heightened alcohol-related problems among this population. The present study is a secondary data analysis of an NIAAA-funded study investigating brief interventions for alcohol use among 583 heavy-drinking college students. Specifically, we examined the relationship between Hispanic student status and alcohol-related problems measured one month later. Additionally, we examined the indirect effects of Hispanic status on alcohol-related problems through drinking motives. Analyses revealed a significant association between Hispanic status and alcohol-related problems at baseline but no association between Hispanic status and problems at 1-month, controlling for baseline problems. An indirect effect of the prospective association between Hispanic student status and alcohol-related problems was evident for only one of the four drinking motives (coping). Our findings suggest that reducing coping motives for drinking among Hispanic college students may reduce alcohol-related problems.

Neural correlates of proactive avoidance deficits and alcohol use motives in problem drinking

Physical pain and negative emotions represent two distinct drinking motives that contribute to harmful alcohol use. Proactive avoidance, in contrast, can reduce consumption in response to these motives but appears to be impaired in those with problem drinking. Despite such evidence, proactive avoidance and its underlying neural deficits have not been assessed experimentally. How these deficits inter-relate with drinking motives to influence alcohol use also remains unclear. The current study leveraged neuroimaging data in forty-one problem and forty-one social drinkers who performed a probabilistic learning go/nogo task featuring proactive avoidance of painful outcomes. We identified the brain responses to proactive avoidance and contrasted the neural correlates of drinking to avoid negative emotions vs. physical pain. Behavioral results confirmed proactive avoidance deficits in problem drinking individuals’ learning rate and performance accuracy, both which were associated with greater alcohol use. Imaging findings in the problem drinking group showed that negative emotions as a drinking motive predicted attenuated right anterior insula activation during proactive avoidance. In contrast, physical pain motive predicted reduced right putamen response. These regions’ activations as well as functional connectivity with the somatomotor cortex also demonstrated a negative relationship with drinking severity and positive relationship with proactive avoidance performance. Path modeling further delineated the pathways through which physical pain and negative emotions influenced the neural and behavioral measures of proactive avoidance. Taken together, the current findings provide experimental evidence for proactive avoidance deficits in alcohol misuse and establish the link between their neural underpinnings and drinking behavior.

Assessing shared psychological constructs as risk factors in comorbid PTSD-AUD combat-exposed male veterans

ABSTRACT PTSD and AUD are frequently comorbid post-trauma outcomes. Much remains unknown about shared risk factors as PTSD and AUD work tends to be conducted in isolation. We examined how self-report measures of distress tolerance (DT), experiential avoidance (EA), and drinking motives (DM) differed across diagnostic groups in white, male combat-exposed veterans (n = 77). A MANOVA indicated a significant difference in constructs by group, F (5, 210) = 4.7, p = <.001. Follow-up ANOVAs indicated DM subscales (Coping: F (3,82) = 21.3; Social: F (3,82) = 13.1; Enhancement: F (3,82) = 10.4; ps = <.001) and EA (F (3,73) = 7.8, p < .001) differed by groups but not DT. Post hoc comparisons indicated that mean scores of the comorbid and AUD-only groups were significantly higher than controls for all DM subscales (all ps < .01). EA scores were significantly higher for the comorbid as compared to control (p < .001) and PTS-only (p = .007) groups. Findings support shared psychological factors in a comorbid PTSD-AUD population.

Irresponsibility Stereotypes Exacerbate Effects of Sexual Violence on Cisgender Bisexual Women's Coping Drinking Motives.

Bisexual women experience disparities in alcohol use outcomes compared to both lesbian and heterosexual women. Bisexual women also experience higher rates of sexual violence (SV) and alcohol use following SV. We examined whether coping drinking motives mediate the link between adult SV severity and alcohol use and whether dimensions of binegativity (i.e., hostility, instability, irresponsibility) moderate the effects of SV. The sample consisted of 355 young (ages 18-35) cisgender bisexual women drinkers (Mage=25.8, 84.2% White) recruited via MTurk. Measures included: Sexual Experiences Survey-Short Form Victimization (Koss et al., 2007), Anti-Bisexual Experiences Scale (Brewster & Moradi, 2010), Modified Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (Grant et al., 2007), and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption subscale (Babor et al., 2001). The PROCESS macro for SPSS was used. There was an interaction between SV severity and irresponsibility stereotypes in predicting coping motives. SV severity related to greater coping motives at mean and high, but not low, levels of irresponsibility stereotypes. Indirect effects of SV severity on alcohol use via coping motives were significant at mean and high, but not low, levels of irresponsibility stereotypes. Hostility and instability dimensions of binegativity did not interact with SV severity in predicting coping motives. Results identified SV severity and irresponsibility stereotypes as compounding experiences that may explain greater alcohol use. Bisexual women exposed to this dimension of binegativity may be particularly vulnerable to drink alcohol to cope with distress following SV. Interventions for alcohol use may be enhanced by helping bisexual women cope with SV-related distress and irresponsibility stereotypes.

Mindfulness as a Moderator of the Association Between Anxiety and Alcohol Use Severity and Drinking Motives in Professional Firefighters

Objective: Firefighters are at risk of experiencing heightened anxiety and alcohol use perhaps due to occupational stress. Mindfulness is related to both anxiety and alcohol use; however, research on the relations of mindfulness with anxiety and alcohol use and drinking motives among firefighters is limited. This study examined (1) whether higher anxiety was positively related to alcohol use severity and drinking related motives (e.g., coping, enhancement, social, and conformity) and (2) whether higher mindfulness would moderate the association between anxiety symptom severity and alcohol use severity and alcohol use coping motives. Methods: Participants included urban firefighters (N = 679; M age = 38.6; SD = 8.58; 93.5% male) who completed an online survey. Five hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the main and interactive effects of anxiety symptom severity and mindfulness on all study outcomes (i.e., alcohol use severity and four drinking motives). Results: Anxiety symptom severity was significantly and negatively associated with mindfulness and, incrementally, positively associated with all alcohol use-related outcome variables. Mindfulness was negatively correlated with alcohol use severity and all alcohol use motives except social motives. Mindfulness moderated the effects of anxiety symptom severity on coping alcohol use motives only. Conclusion: Mindfulness moderated, or attenuated, the positive association between anxiety symptom severity and coping-oriented alcohol use motives among professional firefighters. Results have the potential to inform treatment development and wellness programming for the fire service.

Social Isolation Mediates the Effects of Negative Emotionality and Resilience on Drinking to Cope and Drinking Alone

Objective: The purpose of this research was to test an extension of the incentive motivation model of alcohol by examining effects of personality traits on drinking motives and contexts, as mediated by social isolation. Methods: Participants were 1269 adults who resided in the United States (n = 618) or United Kingdom (n = 651) and completed an online questionnaire measuring the traits of negative emotionality and resilience, along with social isolation, drinking motives (coping, social) and drinking contexts (alone, at a party, at a bar/club). Six months later, 70% of the participants returned to complete a similar online questionnaire. Results: Path analysis was used to test the hypothesized models and revealed that negative emotionality had a prospective indirect effect on drinking to cope and drinking alone through increased social isolation over the 6-month period of observation. In contrast, the trait of resilience had a prospective indirect effect on reductions in the drinking to cope motive and reductions in drinking alone, through decreased social isolation. Conclusion: The findings suggest that personality traits that contribute to social isolation may be risk factors for dysfunctional drinking motives and contexts.

Friendship-related stress and alcohol use among post-college emerging adults.

Friendship-related stress is an understudied factor that may explain variation in coping-motivated and socially-motivated drinking among emerging adults. This study examined chronic and episodic friendship stress as predictors of drinking levels and motivations among emerging adults transitioning to post-college life. College drinkers reported drinking motives and alcohol consumption daily for 30 days using an Internet-based diary in college and five years later (N = 897, 54.2% women, Mage = 24.6 at follow-up, 86.0% White). Post-college, participants completed by phone the UCLA-Life Stress Interview assessing chronic and episodic friendship/social life stress. Chronic friendship/social life stress was positively correlated with mean levels of post-college drinking-to-cope motivation and was negatively related to post-college heavy drinking and social drinking motivation. Emerging adults experiencing friendship stress are more likely to use alcohol as a coping mechanism, elevating their risk for alcohol-related problems. Those with low friendship stress may require public health interventions around the risks of heavy drinking.

Conformity Drinking Motives, College Alcohol Beliefs, and Drinking Behaviors Among College Students: Examining the Protective Role of Prosocial Behaviors

Conformity Drinking Motives, College Alcohol Beliefs, and Drinking Behaviors Among College Students: Examining the Protective Role of Prosocial Behaviors

Development and Validation of the Maternal Drinking Motives Scale (M-DMS)

Background Alcohol use is a gendered behavior and motherhood is a life stage which may influence drinking motives. However, there are no drinking motive scales uniquely tailored to maternal populations. This work developed a new maternal drinking motives scale (M-DMS) and determined associations between the M-DMS and alcohol-related behavior. Methods An online observational survey (n = 534) and online test–retest survey (n = 164) were conducted with adult, UK mothers. From the observational study, data on drinking motives was extracted to determine M-DMS items and factor loading. This was split into two data sets for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and Timeline Follow back data, taken from both surveys, were combined to determine the M-DMS’s predictive validity. Results Following a parallel analysis and exploratory factor analysis, a two-factor model (positive reinforcement motives, negative reinforcement motives) was deemed the best fit. Probability functional analysis identified items with problematic responses. These were removed before confirmatory factor analysis (on the second dataset) demonstrated a good fit for the two-factor model. All factor loadings were significant and positive (βs > 0.56). Reliability of the two subscales was excellent: negative reinforcement (ωT = 0.95), positive reinforcement (ωT = 0.89). Test–retest reliability was good for both negative (ICC = 0.84, 95%CI = 0.80–0.88) and positive (ICC = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.71–0.82) subscales. Both subscales predicted AUDIT and quantity of alcohol consumption (ps < 0.001). Conclusion The first tailored Maternal Drinking Motives Scale (M-DMS) provides a more valid research tool for assessing psychological mechanisms of alcohol use in mothers.

Cognitive inflexibility moderates the relationship between relief-driven drinking motives and alcohol use

IntroductionDrinking motives and neurocognition play significant roles in predicting alcohol use. There is limited research examining how relief-driven drinking motives interact with neurocognition in alcohol use, which would help to elucidate the neurocognitive-motivational profiles most susceptible to harmful drinking. This study investigated the interactions between neurocognition (response inhibition and cognitive flexibility) and relief-driven drinking, in predicting problem drinking. MethodsParticipants completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – Consumption items (AUDIT-C) to measure drinking behaviour, and online cognitive tasks, including the Value-Modulated Attentional Capture and Reversal Task (VMAC-R) and the Stop Signal Task (SST). The sample (N = 368) were individuals who drink alcohol, which included a subsample (N = 52) with problematic drinking, as defined by self-identifying as having a primary drinking problem. Drinking motives were assessed using a binary coping question in the overall sample, and the Habit, Reward, and Fear Scale (HRFS) in the subsample. Moderation analyses were conducted to investigate whether cognitive flexibility and response inhibition moderated relationships between relief-driven motives and drinking. ResultsCognitive flexibility moderated the relationship between relief-driven motives and drinking (overall sample: β = 13.69, p = 0.017; subsample: β = 1.45, p = 0.013). Greater relief-driven motives were associated with heavier drinking for individuals with low cognitive flexibility. There was no significant interaction between response inhibition and relief-driven motives. ConclusionsRelief-driven drinking motives interact with cognitive inflexibility to drive heavier drinking. Greater understanding of these neurocognitive-motivational mechanisms may help to develop more targeted and effective interventions for reducing harmful drinking.