According to dual process models of alcohol use, both explicit (controlled/reflective) process and implicit (automatic/reflexive) cognitions are important predictors of alcohol-related problems. These models also suggest that there are certain types of people for whom implicit processes may be more influential – e.g., people who are more impulsive. Based on these theories, this study seeks to examine whether impulsivity influences the strength of the relationship between implicit drinking identity (cognitions about the self and drinking) and alcohol-related problems. 506 college students completed the Drinking Identity Implicit Association Test, the Impulsivity Subscale of the Substance Use Risks Profile Scale, and the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index. As hypothesized, both impulsivity and drinking identity scores were significantly and positively correlated with alcohol-related problems. Moderation was also supported: drinking identity was more predictive of alcohol-related problems for those reporting higher impulsivity rather than lower impulsivity. These results are consistent with theories that suggest that implicit cognitions should be better predictors for individuals with higher levels of impulsivity. This suggests that targeting implicit drinking identity might be helpful in reducing alcohol-related problems, especially for those individuals with higher levels of impulsivity. In addition, targeting impulsivity may also help reduce alcohol-related problems.

Research has shown that among alcohol dependent individuals, there is a positive correlation between stress and alcohol craving and that coping motives for drinking are associated with increased alcohol consumption and related problems. However, the relationship between drinking motives, stress, and alcohol cravings has not been investigated in undergraduates. We hypothesize that the more stress people report feeling and the more they endorse drinking to cope, the more they will crave alcohol and experience more alcohol-related problems. Participants (N=506; ages 18-20 and 1st or 2nd-year undergraduates) completed a web-based survey as a part of a larger study. Measures included self-report assessments of stress, coping motives for drinking, alcohol craving, and alcohol-related problems. Both coping motives and stress were significantly and positively related to alcohol related problems. Inconsistent with our hypotheses, stress was a better predictor of alcohol-related problems in people who reported lower (versus higher) coping motives. Coping motives were positively related to craving, but stress was not. Finally, coping motives and stress did not interact to predict alcohol craving. Thus, results were not as expected. These findings suggest that coping motives and stress do not interact to predict alcohol cravings or alcohol-related problems in first and second year undergraduates. Sample differences may account for these unexpected results –for example, nearly half of our sample did not drink alcohol in the last three months. Similarly, those in our sample who do drink may not drink as much, may not have drank for as many years, and/or may not have experienced the same level of negative consequences as published studies of alcohol dependent individuals.