A new study examined (both cross-sectionally and prospectively) the mediational role of college alcohol beliefs in the relationship between impulsivity-related traits and alcohol outcomes (i.e., alcohol use and negative consequences) among college students from Spain, Argentina and the U.S. Participants (N = 242) were college students from four universities across the three countries mentioned previously. Through a survey, participants completed a series of questionnaires and measures, which included the following. The UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale was used to measure impulsivity-related traits. The College Life Alcohol Salience Scale (CLASS) was used to assess alcohol beliefs. The Daily Drinking Questionnaire was used to measure alcohol consumption. Lastly, the Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ) was used to assess negative alcohol-related consequences. The authors conducted structural equation modeling and path analysis to test the proposed cross-sectional and prospective models. Results showed that perseverance was associated with lower college alcohol beliefs, whereas sensation seeking and positive urgency were associated with higher college alcohol beliefs. Furthermore, college alcohol beliefs were associated with both higher alcohol use and negative consequences. Moreover, alcohol use significantly mediated the association between college alcohol beliefs and negative consequences and accounted for 35.10% of the total effect. With respect to predicting alcohol use, college alcohol beliefs accounted for 87% of the total effect of perseverance on alcohol use, 34.50% of the total effect of sensation seeking on alcohol use, 26.90% of the total effect of positive urgency on alcohol use and 32.54% of the total effect of negative urgency on alcohol use. With respect to predicting negative consequences, college alcohol beliefs accounted for 12.03% of the total effect of positive urgency on negative consequences. All other effects of perseverance, sensation seeking, and negative urgency were fully mediated.
Take away: College alcohol beliefs were associated with both greater alcohol use and increased number of negative alcohol-related consequences. Such beliefs significantly mediated the effects of several distinct impulsivity-related traits on alcohol-related outcomes. In addition, the findings were invariant across Argentina, Spain, and the U.S.