A pilot study of impulsivity and subjective alcohol response in the lab and moment.

Abstract

Impulsivity and individual differences in alcohol sensitivity (e.g., subjective response to alcohol) have been related to alcohol use behaviors, but scant research has examined how these two constructs are related to each other. Consequently, this pilot study aimed (1) to examine associations between impulsivity domains (impulsive action, impulsive choice, and impulsive personality features) and alcohol sensitivity during alcohol administration in the laboratory; (2) to test daily associations between impulsivity domains and sensitivity to reward during ecological momentary assessment (EMA); and (3) to explore consistency between alcohol sensitivity scores in the lab and EMA. Participants (N = 26; 38.5% male, 61.5% female) were students (graduate and undergraduate) who engaged in recent (past-month) alcohol use and heavy drinking in the past 6 months. Participants completed an in-person alcohol administration session followed by 10 days of EMA. For Aim 1, results indicated that individuals with a greater lack of perseverance reported greater cravings and willingness to drive during the alcohol administration session. Negative and positive urgency were positively associated with liking the alcoholic beverage. For Aim 2, within-person associations revealed that greater than usual lack of premeditation was associated with greater craving while drinking, and greater than usual lack of perseverance was related to less willingness to drive. For Aim 3, subjective effects for liking, craving, and stimulation scores were greater during the EMA portion as compared to the laboratory session. Our findings suggested that individual differences in some impulsive personality features played a role in the motivation to consume alcohol in the laboratory and real world. Future research should replicate these pilot findings and expand on contextual factors that may be driving the present study's associations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).