Personality risk for alcohol consequences among college freshmen

摘要

Drinking is pervasive in the lifestyle of many college students. This study investigated the relationship between drinking and students' impulsivity, sensation seeking, alcohol consequences, and expectancies. The study was based on the Acquired Preparedness Model, which posits that personality con- struts like impulsivity and sensation seeking influence drinking through the formation of positive expectancies about the effects of drinking. Freshmen (N = 260) from a large public university volunteered for the study and were administered three surveys. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the study variables. The findings showed that the total effect of impulsivity was mediated by positive alcohol expectancies. The total effect of sensation seeking was mediated by alcohol expectancies. Freshmen who were more impulsive and sensation seeking had more positive alcohol expectancies and experienced more negative consequences related to alcohol use. These findings suggest that the risk of alcohol consequences was associated with personality constructs and alcohol expectancies.