title: Cognitive ability and drinking behavior in a national sample of young adults.
abstract: The role of verbal intelligence (VI) as an antecedent and moderator of alcohol-related problems was investigated for a national sample of young adults. A measure of VI was used to predict alcohol related behavior 5 years later. Results indicated that lower VI was associated with lower risk for drinking per se. Lower VI was also associated with higher risk for alcohol-related problems among those who drink. These findings were robust across gender, age, and to a large extent across different areas of alcohol related problems. Cognitive-behavioral functions associated with intelligence, such as social judgement, social inference, and social skills, are proposed as possible moderators of the relationship between intelligence and alcohol-related problems.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute on Alcoholism, Buffalo, New York, 14222.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Windle
authors.forename: H T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Blane
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology; D001077:Aptitude Tests; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors