Personality and motivational correlates of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems among excessive drinking university students.
OBJECTIVE
The study had three objectives: (1) to assess relationships between personality characteristics and alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems among university students who drink alcohol excessively; (2) to assess relationships between motivational structure and alcohol consumption and problems among students who consume excessive amounts of alcohol; and (3) to assess how personality characteristics and motivational structure are related to each other and how the two are jointly related to alcohol consumption and problems.


METHODS
Personality, motivational structure, alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems were assessed among 111 undergraduate students.


RESULTS
Mediation analyses showed that both maladaptive motivational structure and novelty seeking predicted participants' alcohol-related problems beyond that predicted by alcohol consumption.


CONCLUSIONS
Future research should aim to reduce alcohol-related negative consequences by targeting students with a maladaptive motivational structure, while taking into account the role of personality characteristics. Screening and intervention programmes would benefit from addressing novelty seeking and maladaptive motivation.
Hosier
Steven G
SG
School of Psychology, Bangor University, Gwynedd, United Kingdom. s.hosler@bangor.ac.uk
Cox
W Miles
WM
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010551:Personality; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult