Cross-cultural examination of different personality pathways to alcohol use and misuse in emerging adulthood

Big five personality traits, gaming motives, and regular and disordered gaming: A cross-national examination among college student gamers in seven countries

INTRODUCTION

Previous research has shown that personality traits and gaming motives are important predictors for explaining regular and disordered gaming. However, the mediating role of gaming motives in the relation between personality traits and video game outcomes (e.g., time spent gaming or disordered gaming) has been scarcely studied and limited cross-national studies have addressed this issue. The present study aimed to examine the direct and indirect effects of the Big Five personality traits on weekly gaming and disordered gaming via gaming motives across seven countries.

METHOD

3540 college student gamers (59.5% women) from the U.S., Canada, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa and England completed the online survey. Structural equation modeling was conducted to test models. Multigroup models were employed to test model invariance across countries.

RESULTS

Significant, albeit weak, relations were found between personality traits and gaming outcomes, and were mediated mostly by coping motives in predicting disordered gaming, and by social interaction and recreation (to a lesser extent) motives in predicting weekly gaming. Some minor, yet significant, differences across countries appeared and are discussed in detail.

DISCUSSION

The present findings indicate that the differential interrelations between personality traits, gaming motives, and video gaming outcomes may be generalized in college students across countries.

Bridging the Gap: A Holistic View of Personality Factors in Individuals With and Without Alcohol Use

This comprehensive review examines the intricate interplay between personality factors and alcohol use, shedding light on the dynamic relationship that shapes the initiation, progression, and outcomes of alcohol-related behaviors. The exploration encompasses vital personality traits such as sensation seeking, impulsivity, neuroticism, extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience. The bidirectional nature of this association is underscored, emphasizing how personality influences and is influenced by alcohol consumption patterns. Protective personality factors, including resilience, emotional regulation, and social support, are identified as crucial elements in mitigating the risk of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The implications for clinical practice advocate for tailored interventions that address individual personality profiles, while policy considerations highlight the need for targeted prevention efforts that acknowledge the diverse ways individuals respond to alcohol use. Furthermore, a call for future research emphasizes emerging perspectives, improved methodologies, and ongoing exploration of intervention strategies to advance our understanding of this complex relationship and refine approaches for prevention and treatment. As we navigate this evolving field, the insights gleaned hold promise for shaping more compelling and nuanced interventions to address the diverse needs of individuals affected by AUDs.

Drinking Motives, Alcohol Misuse, and Internalizing and Externalizing Psychopathology across College: A Cross-Lagged Panel Study

Background: Drinking motives are strong proximal predictors of alcohol use behaviors and may represent a mediational mechanism by which different individual predispositions toward internalizing or externalizing psychopathology lead to the development of alcohol misuse. However, whether the association is due to a causal relationship or a shared etiology (i.e., confounding) is difficult to determine and may change across developmental periods. Methods: This study leveraged a cross-lagged panel design to disentangle the nature of the relationships between self-report measures of drinking motives, alcohol misuse, and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in a 4-year longitudinal sample of college students (N = 9,889). Results: Results pointed to a putative causal effect of drinking motives on early binge drinking frequency, but the direction of effect later reversed, reflecting a possible developmental shift during college. On the other hand, the relationships between drinking motives and internalizing/externalizing psychopathology appeared to be driven by shared etiology rather than direct causal mechanisms. Conclusions: These findings highlight the distinct and important role of drinking motives in the etiology of alcohol misuse and have implications for the application of tailored prevention and treatment strategies.

Motives to play videogames across seven countries: Measurement invariance of the Videogaming Motives Questionnaire

INTRODUCTION

Gaming motives appear to be an important predictor of time spent gaming and disordered gaming. The Videogaming Motives Questionnaire (VMQ) has shown adequate psychometric properties to assess gaming motives among Spanish college students. However, the utility of this measure has not yet been explored in other cultures. This research aimed to examine the structure and measurement invariance of the VMQ across seven countries and gender groups, and to provide criterion-related validity evidence for VMQ scores.

METHOD

College students who reported having played videogames in the last year (n = 5192; 59.07 % women) from the US, Canada, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, England, and Uruguay completed an online survey to measure time spent gaming, disordered gaming, and the VMQ.

RESULTS

Findings support a 24-item 8-intercorrelated factor model structure for the VMQ in the total sample. Our results also support configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the VMQ across gender groups and countries. Students from North America (US and Canada) scored higher on most gaming motives (except recreation and cognitive development) than students from the other countries. The correlations between VMQ and non-VMQ variables were similar across gender and countries, except in England where VMQ correlations with time spent gaming were stronger.

DISCUSSION

These results suggest that the VMQ is a useful measure for assessing gaming motives across young adults from different countries.

Coping and Conformity Motives Mediate the Joint Effects of the Behavioral Inhibition and Approach Systems on Alcohol Problems in Young Adults

Background: Gray's original Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) posits that an oversensitive behavioral inhibition system (BIS) may increase risk for negative-reinforcement-motivated drinking, given its role in anxiety. However, existing data provides mixed support for the BIS-alcohol use association. The inconsistent evidence is not surprising, as the revised RST predicts that the behavioral approach system (BAS) should moderate the effect of the BIS on alcohol use. A strong BAS is thought to bring attention to the negatively reinforcing effects of alcohol, leading to problem drinking among those with a strong BIS. While emerging results support this interaction, we still have much to learn about the mechanisms underlying this effect on alcohol use. Accordingly, we examined motives for alcohol use as mediators of the joint associations of the BIS and the BAS on drinking behaviors. Specifically, our central hypothesis was that individuals with a strong BIS and a strong BAS would endorse increased negative reinforcement motives for drinking (coping and conformity motives), which in turn would predict heavy drinking and alcohol problems. Method: Participants (N=346; 195 women) completed study measures as part of the baseline assessment for a larger study. Results: Overall, results partially supported the hypotheses. Mediated moderation analyses showed that the indirect effect of the BIS on alcohol problems, through coping and conformity motives, was strongest at high levels of the BAS. This effect was not supported for alcohol use. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that clinical interventions should target coping and conformity reasons for drinking among anxious, reward responsive, young adults.

Childhood Traumatic Experiences and Negative Alcohol-Related Consequences in Adulthood: A Cross-Cultural Examination of Distress Tolerance and Drinking to Cope

Background: Prior research has established that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) predict harmful alcohol use outcomes. However, underlying mechanisms that could explain these associations are less clear. The present study examined if ACEs are indirectly related to alcohol negative consequences through their associations with distress tolerance and drinking to cope. Method: A sample of 3,763 (71.9% female) college students who drink alcohol from seven countries (U.S., Argentina, Canada, Uruguay, Spain, South Africa, and England) completed online surveys. Path analysis was performed within the whole sample testing the serial unique associations between ACEs→distress tolerance→drinking to cope→negative alcohol-related consequences. Multi-group analysis was performed to determine if the proposed pathways were invariant across gender and countries. Results: Both distress tolerance and drinking to cope uniquely accounted for the relationship between ACEs and negative alcohol-related consequences. Additionally, a significant double-mediation effect was found illustrating that a higher endorsement of ACEs was associated with lower distress tolerance, which in turn was associated with higher drinking to cope, which in turn was associated with more negative alcohol-related consequences. These effects were invariant across countries and gender groups. Conclusions: These findings provide support for the relevance of distress tolerance and coping motives as potential factors in linking ACEs to problematic alcohol use across nations. Our data are consistent with the idea that intervening on distress tolerance and drinking motives could mitigate downstream alcohol-related consequences related to ACEs in college student populations around the world.

Multiple lifestyle risk behaviours and hierarchical dimensions of psychopathology in 6640 Australian adolescents

OBJECTIVE

Physical inactivity, sugar sweetened beverage consumption, alcohol use, smoking, poor sleep and excessive recreational screen time (the 'Big 6' lifestyle risk behaviours) often co-occur and are key risk factors for psychopathology. However, the best fitting latent structure of the Big 6 is unknown and links between multiple lifestyle risk behaviours and hierarchical dimensions of psychopathology have not been explored among adolescents. This study aimed to address these gaps in the literature.

METHODS

Confirmatory factor analysis, latent class analysis and factor mixture models were conducted among 6640 students (M_age = 12.7 years) to identify the latent structure of the Big 6 lifestyle risk behaviours. Structural equation models were then used to examine associations with psychopathology.

RESULTS

A mixture model with three classes, capturing mean differences in a single latent factor indexing overall risk behaviours, emerged as the best fitting model. This included relatively low-risk (Class 1: 30%), moderate-risk (Class 2: 67%) and high-risk (Class 3: 3%) classes. Students high on externalizing demonstrated significantly greater odds of membership to the high-risk class (odds ratio = 8.75, 99% confidence interval = [3.30, 23.26]) and moderate-risk class (odds ratio = 2.93, 99% confidence interval = [1.43, 5.97]) in comparison to the low-risk class. Similarly, students high on internalizing demonstrated significantly higher odds of membership to the high-risk class (odds ratio = 1.89, 99% confidence interval = [1.06, 3.37]) and the moderate-risk class (odds ratio = 1.66, 99% confidence interval = [1.03, 2.67]) in comparison to the low-risk class. Associations between lower order factors of psychopathology and lifestyle risk behaviours were mostly accounted for by the more parsimonious higher order factors.

CONCLUSION

Classes representing differences in probabilities of the Big 6 lifestyle risk behaviours relate to varying levels of hierarchical dimensions of psychopathology, suggesting multiple health behaviour change and transdiagnostic intervention approaches may be valuable for reducing risk of psychopathology.

Personality traits associated with Alcohol Dependence Syndrome and its relapse

Background

Course of Alcohol Dependence Syndrome (ADS) is studded with multiple relapses. Personality factors are implicated as one of the influencing factors in the course of this disorder. Keeping in view of scarcity of Indian data available, the study was planned with the aim to find Personality traits more commonly associated with ADS patients, and identify specific traits, associated with relapses of ADS.

Method

With sample size of 100 consecutive cases and 100 controls, socio-demographic data was collected. Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and Severity of Alcohol Use Disorder Test (SAD-Q) were administered to each of these patient. Personality dimensions were assessed with NEO-five factor inventory (NEO-FFI) (Costa and McCrae), for both groups and further compared for differences in the dimensions in each of its subscale.

Results

The NEO scores, showed statistically significant difference with Cases having higher scores in Neuroticism and control group in Openness and Conscientiousness. Neuroticism linked to higher scores of AUDIT and SADQ and also associated with relapses. Other traits also showed statistically significant association which are discussed.

Conclusion

As new factors are being explored for effective management, routine personality profiling is easily accomplished and can give delightful insight into focused and designed management plan.

Internalizing and externalizing subtypes of alcohol misuse and their relation to drinking motives

BACKGROUND

Several typologies have proposed two etiological pathways involved in the development of alcohol misuse which are associated with the internalizing and externalizing domains of psychopathology, respectively. This study's aim was to investigate this typology in a young adult sample, and test whether drinking motives, specifically drinking for negative or positive reinforcement, may provide a plausible mechanism characterizing these pathways.

METHOD

Mixture modeling was conducted on a set of internalizing (anxiety, depression, neuroticism), externalizing (antisocial behavior, conscientiousness, sensation seeking, drug use), and alcohol misuse items (binge drinking, alcohol use disorder symptoms [AUDsx]) measured by self-report in a sample of 9,807 college students. Linear regression and chi-square tests were used to determine how latent class membership was associated with drinking motives, demographics, and personality characteristics.

RESULTS

The model identified 3 latent classes: a Low Risk class (70%), an Internalizing class (19%) with elevated levels of internalizing traits/symptoms and AUDsx, and an Externalizing class (10%) with elevated levels of externalizing traits/symptoms and both binge drinking and AUDsx. All drinking motives were substantially elevated in the Internalizing and Externalizing (vs Low Risk) classes (p < 3.0E-10), while positive reinforcement motives were specifically elevated in the Externalizing (vs Internalizing) class (p < 2.0E-55). Personality comparisons further emphasized the relevance of class distinctions.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide additional support for both a specific internalizing and a broadband externalizing association with subtypes of alcohol misuse. Drinking motives may be useful intermediate indicators of these different risk processes.

Genetic and environmental etiology of drinking motives in college students

BACKGROUND

Drinking motives are robust proximal predictors of alcohol use behaviors and may mediate distinct etiological pathways in the development of alcohol misuse. However, little is known about the genetic and environmental etiology of drinking motives themselves and their potential utility as endophenotypes.

METHODS

Here, we leverage a longitudinal study of college students from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds (phenotypic N = 9889, genotypic N = 4855) to investigate the temporal stability and demographic and environmental predictors of four types of drinking motives (enhancement, social, coping, and conformity). Using genome-wide association study (GWAS) and in silico tools, we characterize their associated genes and genetic variants (single nucleotide polymorphisms or SNPs).

RESULTS

Drinking motives were stable across four years of college (ICC >0.74). Some robust environmental predictors of alcohol misuse (parental autonomy granting and peer deviance) were broadly associated with multiple types of drinking motives, while others (e.g., trauma exposure) were type specific. Genome-wide analyses indicated modest SNP-based heritability (14-22%, n.s.) and several suggestive genomic loci that corroborate findings from previous molecular genetic studies (e.g., PECR and SIRT4 genes), indicating possible differences in the genetic etiology of positive versus negative reinforcement drinking motives that align with an internalizing/externalizing typology of alcohol misuse. Coping motives were significantly genetically correlated with alcohol use disorder diagnoses (r_g  = 0.71, p = 0.001). However, results from the genetic analyses were largely underpowered to detect significant associations.

CONCLUSIONS

Drinking motives show promise as endophenotypes but require further investigation in larger samples to further our understanding of the etiology of alcohol misuse.

Reinforcer pathology of internet-related behaviors among college students: Data from six countries

Research has demonstrated that repeated engagement in low-effort behaviors that are associated with immediate reward, such as Internet use, can result in a pathological reinforcement process in which the behavior is increasingly selected over other activities due, in part, to a low availability of alternative activities and to a strong preference for immediate rather than delayed rewards (delay discounting). However, this reinforcer pathology model has not been generalized to other Internet-related behaviors, such as online gaming or smartphone use. Given the widespread availability of these technologies, it is also important to examine whether reinforcer pathology of Internet-related behaviors is culturally universal or culture-specific. The current study examines relations between behavioral economic constructs (Internet demand, delay discounting, and alternative reinforcement) and Internet-related addictive behaviors (harmful Internet use, smartphone use, online gaming, and Internet sexual behavior) in a cross-sectional sample of college students (N = 1,406) from six different countries (Argentina, Australia, India, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and the United States). Using structural equation modeling, Internet demand was associated with harmful Internet use, smartphone use, and online gaming; delay discounting was associated with harmful smartphone use; and alternative reinforcement was associated with harmful Internet and smartphone use. The models were partially invariant across countries. However, mean levels of behavioral economic variables differed across countries, country-level gross domestic product, person-level income, and sex at birth. Results support behavioral economic theory and highlight the importance of considering both individual and country-level sociocultural contextual factors in models for understanding harmful engagement with Internet-related behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Bridge Nodes between Personality Traits and Alcohol-Use Disorder Criteria: The Relevance of Externalizing Traits of Risk Taking, Callousness, and Irresponsibility

Background: Personality disorders show strong comorbidities with alcohol-use disorder (AUD), and several personality traits have been found to be more frequent in people with AUD. This study analyzes which personality facets of those proposed in the Alternative Model of Personality Disorder (AMPD) of DSM-5 are associated with the diagnostic criteria of AUD. Methods: The sample was composed of 742 participants randomly selected from the Spanish population, and 243 patients attending mental health services. All participants were of legal age and signed an informed consent form. The instruments were administered to the community sample in an online format, and a psychologist conducted individual face-to-face interviews with the patients. AMPD facets were assessed through the Personality Inventory of DSM-5 Short-Form, and the AUD criteria through the Substance Dependence Severity Scale. A network analysis was applied to identify the personality facets mostly associated with the AUD criteria. Results: The network analysis showed the existence of three communities, grouping the AUD criteria, externalizing spectrum facets, and internalizing spectrum facets, respectively. Risk taking, callousness, and irresponsibility facets showed the strongest association with the AUD criteria, bridging externalizing personality traits with AUD criteria. Conclusions: The facets of risk taking, callousness, and irresponsibility should be accurately assessed in patients with AUD to differentiate between a possible primary personality disorder and a syndrome induced by alcohol addiction.

The Association between Distress Tolerance and Alcohol Outcomes via Internal Drinking Motives

Previous work suggests that college students who perceive themselves as less able to tolerate negative affect are more motivated to use alcohol to alleviate psychological distress. Recent findings also indicate that distress tolerance influences alcohol outcomes via a positive reinforcement pathway. However, results concerning the association between distress tolerance and alcohol outcomes remain inconsistent. Aim: The present study examined the association between distinctive features of distress tolerance and alcohol outcomes via internal drinking motives (i.e., coping and enhancement) in Argentinean college students. Method: From April to November 2019, a sample of 387 college students with last-month alcohol use (Mean age = 21.09 ± 4.98) completed an online survey assessing alcohol outcomes (past-month frequency of binge drinking and negative alcohol-related consequences), internal drinking motives, and four components of distress tolerance (i.e., tolerance, appraisal, absorption, and regulation). Results: The associations between specific facets of distress tolerance and drinking outcomes were atemporally mediated by coping and enhancement motives. Coping motives significantly mediated the effect of absorption and appraisal on alcohol-related problems (i.e., lower absorption and lower appraisal were associated with more problems via higher coping motives). Enhancement motives significantly mediated the effect of absorption (lower absorption was associated with greater enhancement motives) on binge drinking frequency and alcohol-related problems. Conclusions: Distress tolerance was associated with alcohol outcomes via coping and enhancement motives in this sample of Argentinean undergraduates. The ability to withstand negative affect could be a focal point of interventions to prevent the development of maladaptive patterns of drinking.

Preliminary validity and reliability evidence of the Brief Antisocial Behavior Scale (B-ABS) in young adults from four countries

The present research built on the Self-Reported Delinquency interview and the Antisocial Behavior Scale to develop an updated brief instrument to measure antisocial behavior. College students (n = 3188, 67.75% women) from the USA, Argentina, the Netherlands and Spain completed an online survey. Analyses that combined approaches from the Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory were conducted to select the items for the brief version. Findings suggested that a 13-item Brief Antisocial Behavior Scale (B-ABS) fulfilled the high-quality criteria: salient factor loadings, adequate discrimination, variability in response endorsement, adequate fit based on infit/outfit values, nondifferent item functioning across the four participating countries, and Cronbach's alpha and ordinal omega coefficients higher than .70. The B-ABS scores generally significantly correlated with personality scores, mental health and marijuana outcomes, showing criterion-related validity evidence. Our overall findings suggest that B-ABS adequately assesses antisocial behavior in young adults from different countries/cultures.

Risk Factors Associated with Alcohol Use in Early Adolescence among American Inner-City Youth: A Longitudinal Study

Background: Early alcohol use is associated with an increased risk for later alcohol dependence, as well as social and mental health problems. In this study, we investigate the risk factors (internalizing and externalizing behaviors) associated with early alcohol consumption over a period of 1 year, and examine whether the association is sex-specific. Methods: U.S. inner-city adolescents (N = 1785, Mean age = 12.11) were assessed and reassessed in the sixth and seventh grades (Mean age = 13.10). Self-reported information was obtained on the lifetime level of alcohol consumption, internalizing (depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress [PTS]), and externalizing behaviors (sensation seeking, conduct problems and affiliation with delinquent peers). Associations between the variables were examined using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: In an adjusted SEM analysis drinking by the sixth grade was primarily associated with externalizing behaviors, whereas PTS was linked to lower levels of alcohol consumption. In addition, alcohol consumption and greater externalizing behaviors by the sixth grade predicted higher alcohol consumption by the seventh grade, whereas anxiety and African American ethnicity were associated with less alcohol consumption. No sex differences were found in the association between internalizing and externalizing behaviors and drinking. However, in the adjusted SEM analysis female sex predicted higher lifetime consumption by the seventh grade. Conclusion: Sensation seeking behavior, conduct problems and affiliation with delinquent peers should be regarded as risk factors and taken into consideration when planning prevention efforts in order to decrease alcohol use in early adolescence.

The Influence of Personality and Drinking Motives on College Student Binge Drinking in the US and Portugal

Abstract. The present study examined whether personality traits and drinking motives interact to predict binge drinking and alcohol-related problems in a cross-cultural sample of college students. Participants were undergraduate drinkers ( N = 904; 66% female) from universities in Portugal ( N = 391) and the US ( N = 513). Participants completed measures assessing neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, drinking motives, frequency of binge drinking, and the number of alcohol-related problems. A significant Country × Neuroticism × Conformity interaction was explained by differences between US and Portuguese samples. The effect of this interaction on alcohol- related problems was mediated by binge drinking. Findings suggest similarities and differences across cultures in the manner in which personality and drinking motives are associated with alcohol outcomes. Across cultures, neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, and drinking motives are key factors to consider in the assessment, prevention, and treatment of alcohol use among college students.

Cross-cultural examination of the Big Five Personality Trait Short Questionnaire: Measurement invariance testing and associations with mental health

The present study examined the measurement invariance of the Big Five Personality Trait Short Questionnaire (BFPTSQ) across language (Spanish and English), Spanish-speaking country of origin (Argentina and Spain) and gender groups (female and male). Evidence of criterion-related validity was examined via associations (i.e., correlations) between the BFPTSQ domains and a wide variety of mental health outcomes. College students (n = 2158) from the USA (n = 1117 [63.21% female]), Argentina (n = 353 [65.72% female]) and Spain (n = 688 [66.86% female]) completed an online survey. Of the tested models, an Exploratory Structural Equation Model (ESEM) fit the data best. Multigroup ESEM and ESEM-within-CFA generally supported the measurement invariance of the questionnaire across groups. Internalizing symptomatology, rumination and low happiness were related mainly to low emotional stability across countries, while low agreeableness and low conscientiousness were related chiefly to externalizing symptomology (i.e., antisocial behavior and drug outcomes). Some correlational differences arose across countries and are discussed. Our findings generally support the BFPTSQ as an adequate measure to assess the Big Five personality domains in Spanish- and English-speaking young adults.

Depressive symptoms, ruminative thinking, marijuana use motives, and marijuana outcomes: A multiple mediation model among college students in five countries

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have evidenced that rumination and drinking motives may mediate the association between depressive symptoms and alcohol outcomes. The present study cross-culturally examined whether a similar mediation model may extend to marijuana. Specifically, we tested distinct rumination facets (problem-focused thoughts, counterfactual thinking, repetitive thoughts, and anticipatory thoughts) and marijuana use motives (social, coping, expansion, conformity, enhancement) as double-mediators of the paths from depressive symptoms to marijuana outcomes (use and consequences).

METHOD

A comprehensive mediation path model was tested in a cross-sectional sample of college student marijuana users (n = 1175) from five countries (U.S., Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, Netherlands). Multi-group models were tested to determine if the proposed mediational model was invariant across sex and different cultures/countries.

RESULTS

Depressive symptoms and marijuana outcomes were indirectly associated through ruminative thinking and marijuana motives. Specifically, higher depressive symptoms were associated with higher problem-focused thoughts; which in turn were associated with: a) higher endorsement of coping motives which in turn was associated with higher marijuana use and related consequences and b) lower endorsement of enhancement motives which in turn was associated with lower marijuana use and related consequences. The multi-group analyses showed that the model was invariant across sex and the five countries.

CONCLUSIONS

The present research supports the existence of a universal (i.e., cross-national invariant) negative affect regulation pathway to marijuana use/misuse similar to those previously found with alcohol. Additional research is needed to confirm the role of enhancement motives in the associations of depression, rumination and marijuana outcomes.