title: Alcohol-attentional bias and motivational structure as independent predictors of social drinkers' alcohol consumption.
abstract: Prior studies aimed at explaining cognitive-motivational reasons for drinking have focused on either cognitive or motivational factors, but not on both. This study examined the ability of both alcohol-attentional bias and motivational structure to predict alcohol consumption. Participants were university students (N=87) who completed a battery of tests, including the Personal Concerns Inventory (a measure of adaptive and maladaptive motivation), an alcohol Stroop test (a measure of alcohol-attentional bias), and an alcohol-use inventory. Regression, moderation, and mediation analyses showed that (a) maladaptive motivation and alcohol-attentional bias were positive predictors of alcohol consumption after participants' age, gender, and executive cognitive functioning had been controlled, and (b) maladaptive motivation and alcohol-attentional bias independently predicted alcohol consumption. The implications of the results for both theory and practice are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Bangor University, United Kingdom. j.s.fadardi@bangor.ac.uk
authors.forename: Javad Salehi
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Fadardi
authors.forename: W Miles
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Cox
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001288:Attention; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009042:Motivation; D015995:Prevalence; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires