The Association Between Mindfulness Facets and Substance Use via Emotional Psychopathology and Coping Motives in Argentinian College Students.

Background: Prior studies suggest that lower levels of mindfulness contribute to the motivation of using alcohol to cope with distress. Research examining this possibility is scarce or limited to alcohol, but not marijuana, related outcomes. Objectives: We examined separate models (for alcohol and for marijuana) to determine the associations between trait mindfulness (describing, acting with awareness, non-judging, non-reactivity) and alcohol and marijuana outcomes (use indicators and negative consequences) via emotional psychopathology (i.e., a latent variable assessing symptoms of depression and anxiety) and alcohol/marijuana coping motives. Results: The final analytic sample consisted of 456 participants (Mean age = 22.96 ± 3.12 years; 66.2% women) for the alcohol model; and 232 participants (Mean age = 22.96 ± 3.01 years; 66.2% women) for the marijuana model. Two path models were conducted, such that indirect paths were examined for each trait mindfulness facet on alcohol/marijuana outcomes (e.g., describing → emotional psychopathology → alcohol coping motives → binge drinking frequency). Within the comprehensive alcohol model, describing, acting with awareness, non-judging and non-reactivity were associated with less binge drinking frequency and lower number of alcohol-related negative consequences via lower severity of emotional psychopathology symptoms and lower endorsement of drinking to cope motives. For the marijuana model, describing, acting with awareness, and non-judging of inner experience were associated with less marijuana quantity (grams) consumed and lower number of marijuana-related negative consequences via lower severity of emotional psychopathology symptoms and lower endorsement of marijuana coping motives. Conclusions: Prevention and intervention programs of alcohol and marijuana in Argentina may benefit from improving mindfulness skills and targeting emotional psychopathology and motives to use drugs, to prevent or reduce negative drug-related consequences.

Association between personality traits and symptoms of depression and anxiety via emotional regulation and distress tolerance.

The Big Five personality traits have shown associations with symptoms of depression and anxiety among college students, but it is unclear which factors mediate these relationships. Past research suggests that psychological distress is closely related to difficulties in affect regulation (e.g., low distress tolerance). Therefore, the present study examined the associations between personality traits and depression and anxiety via emotion regulation and distress tolerance. Participants were 694 (81.4% females; Mean age = 23.12 [SD 2.75]) Argentinian college students who completed an online survey examining mental health and personality variables. A sizeable percentage of students endorsed moderate to severe symptoms of depression (45.1%) or anxiety (25.9%). Utilizing path analyses, we found that appraisal, a dimension of distress tolerance, atemporally mediated the association between emotional stability and symptoms of depression/anxiety (i.e., higher levels of emotional stability → higher appraisal distress tolerance → fewer symptoms of depression/anxiety). Further, expressive suppression (a dimension of emotion regulation) significantly mediated the associations between personality traits (i.e., agreeableness and extraversion) and symptoms of depression (higher levels of agreeableness/extraversion → lower use of expressive suppression → fewer symptoms of depression). Taken together, the results suggest that higher levels of emotional stability, extraversion and agreeableness could protect students from the development of symptoms of depression/anxiety via lower maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and higher distress tolerance (particularly appraisal). These findings highlight the relevance of intervention strategies specifically tailored to improve distress tolerance and emotion regulation for those students undergoing mental health problems.

Big five personality traits, gaming motives, and regular and disordered gaming: A cross-national examination among college student gamers in seven countries.

INTRODUCTION: Previous research has shown that personality traits and gaming motives are important predictors for explaining regular and disordered gaming. However, the mediating role of gaming motives in the relation between personality traits and video game outcomes (e.g., time spent gaming or disordered gaming) has been scarcely studied and limited cross-national studies have addressed this issue. The present study aimed to examine the direct and indirect effects of the Big Five personality traits on weekly gaming and disordered gaming via gaming motives across seven countries. METHOD: 3540 college student gamers (59.5% women) from the U.S., Canada, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, South Africa and England completed the online survey. Structural equation modeling was conducted to test models. Multigroup models were employed to test model invariance across countries. RESULTS: Significant, albeit weak, relations were found between personality traits and gaming outcomes, and were mediated mostly by coping motives in predicting disordered gaming, and by social interaction and recreation (to a lesser extent) motives in predicting weekly gaming. Some minor, yet significant, differences across countries appeared and are discussed in detail. DISCUSSION: The present findings indicate that the differential interrelations between personality traits, gaming motives, and video gaming outcomes may be generalized in college students across countries.

Utility of the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire to Identify College Students At-Risk for Alcohol Related Problems: Relative Operating Characteristics across Seven Countries.

Background: It is important to identify students who would benefit from early interventions to reduce harmful drinking patterns and associated consequences. the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (B-YAACQ) could be particularly useful as a screening tool in university settings. Objectives. The present study examined the utility of the B-YAACQ to distinguish among students at-risk for problematic alcohol use as measured by the AUDIT. Objectives: The present study examined the utility of the B-YAACQ to distinguish among students at-risk for problematic alcohol use as measured by the AUDIT. Methods: A sample of 6382 students (mean age=20.28, SD=3.75, 72.2% females) from seven countries (i.e., U.S., Canada, South-Africa, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay, England) completed the B-YAACQ, the AUDIT and different measures of alcohol use. Results: ROC analyses suggested that a cutoff score of 5 maximized the YAACQ's discrimination utility to differentiate between students at low versus moderate/high risk in the total sample and across countries (except in Canada, where the cutoff was 4). In addition, a cutoff of 7 differentiated between students at low/moderate versus high risk in the total sample, while cutoffs of 10, 9, 8 and 7 differentiate between students at low/moderate versus high risk in Uruguay, U.S and Spain (10), Argentina (9), England (8), and Canada and South-Africa (7), respectively. Students classified at the three risk levels (i.e., low, moderate and high) differed in age (i.e., a younger age was associated with higher risk) and drinking patters (i.e., higher drinking frequency, quantity, binge drinking and AUDIT and B-YAACQ scores in the higher risk groups). Conclusions: This study suggest that the B-YAACQ is a useful tool to identify college students at-risk for experiencing problematic patterns of alcohol use.

Motives to play videogames across seven countries: Measurement invariance of the Videogaming Motives Questionnaire.

INTRODUCTION: Gaming motives appear to be an important predictor of time spent gaming and disordered gaming. The Videogaming Motives Questionnaire (VMQ) has shown adequate psychometric properties to assess gaming motives among Spanish college students. However, the utility of this measure has not yet been explored in other cultures. This research aimed to examine the structure and measurement invariance of the VMQ across seven countries and gender groups, and to provide criterion-related validity evidence for VMQ scores. METHOD: College students who reported having played videogames in the last year (n = 5192; 59.07 % women) from the US, Canada, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, England, and Uruguay completed an online survey to measure time spent gaming, disordered gaming, and the VMQ. RESULTS: Findings support a 24-item 8-intercorrelated factor model structure for the VMQ in the total sample. Our results also support configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the VMQ across gender groups and countries. Students from North America (US and Canada) scored higher on most gaming motives (except recreation and cognitive development) than students from the other countries. The correlations between VMQ and non-VMQ variables were similar across gender and countries, except in England where VMQ correlations with time spent gaming were stronger. DISCUSSION: These results suggest that the VMQ is a useful measure for assessing gaming motives across young adults from different countries.

Internalizing symptoms, rumination, and problematic social networking site use: A cross national examination among young adults in seven countries.

BACKGROUND: As daily engagement with social networking sites (SNS) increases globally, identifying and understanding the risk factors associated with problematic SNS use is of utmost importance. Researchers are interested in understanding internalizing symptoms as both a risk factor and a negative consequence of problematic SNS use. Prior research has proposed rumination alongside internalizing symptoms as a risk factor, though limited research has examined these associations across different cultures. OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the indirect associations between internalizing symptoms (specifically depressive and social anxiety symptoms) and problematic SNS use via rumination among a cross-cultural sample. METHOD: Participants were 8,912 (70.8 % female; Mean age = 20.25, SD = 3.95) college students recruited across seven countries (U.S., Canada, Spain, England, Argentina, Uruguay, and South Africa) who completed measures of internalizing symptoms, rumination, weekly SNS use, and problematic SNS use. RESULTS: We found that higher internalizing symptoms were associated with more problematic SNS use via higher ruminative thinking. Specifically, problem-focused thoughts (a rumination subtype) uniquely accounted for 22.89% and 28.15% of the total effect of depressive and social anxiety symptoms on problematic SNS use, respectively. Other rumination subtypes (i.e., anticipatory thoughts and repetitive thinking) also demonstrated significant indirect effects, though weaker effects than for problem-focused thoughts. Findings were invariant across countries. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide support for further exploring the role rumination plays in determining and comparing problematic SNS use cross-culturally in longitudinal and experimental work.

The Association between Distress Tolerance and Alcohol Outcomes via Internal Drinking Motives.

INTRODUCTION: Previous work suggests that college students who perceive themselves as less able to tolerate negative affect are more motivated to use alcohol to alleviate psychological distress. Recent findings also indicate that distress tolerance influences alcohol outcomes via a positive reinforcement pathway. However, results concerning the association between distress tolerance and alcohol outcomes remain inconsistent. Aim: The present study examined the association between distinctive features of distress tolerance and alcohol outcomes via internal drinking motives (i.e., coping and enhancement) in Argentinean college students. Method: From April to November 2019, a sample of 387 college students with last-month alcohol use (Mean age = 21.09 ± 4.98) completed an online survey assessing alcohol outcomes (past-month frequency of binge drinking and negative alcohol-related consequences), internal drinking motives, and four components of distress tolerance (i.e., tolerance, appraisal, absorption, and regulation). Results: The associations between specific facets of distress tolerance and drinking outcomes were atemporally mediated by coping and enhancement motives. Coping motives significantly mediated the effect of absorption and appraisal on alcohol-related problems (i.e., lower absorption and lower appraisal were associated with more problems via higher coping motives). Enhancement motives significantly mediated the effect of absorption (lower absorption was associated with greater enhancement motives) on binge drinking frequency and alcohol-related problems. Conclusions: Distress tolerance was associated with alcohol outcomes via coping and enhancement motives in this sample of Argentinean undergraduates. The ability to withstand negative affect could be a focal point of interventions to prevent the development of maladaptive patterns of drinking.

Self-control and problematic use of social networking sites: Examining distress tolerance as a mediator among Argentinian college students.

INTRODUCTION: Use of Social networking sites (SNSs) is a highly prevalent behavior worldwide and, for some individuals, its use can turn maladaptive. There has been growing interest to identify which variables are associated with problematic use of SNSs. AIM: The present study cross-sectionally examined whether the associations between different features of self-control (i.e., impulsivity-like traits, self-regulation and emotion regulation) indirectly relate to two outcomes of SNSs (hours of use and problematic use) via distress tolerance. METHODS: A sample of 509 Argentinean college students (70.3% female; Mean age = 21.15 ± 5.15) completed an online survey. RESULTS: Two significant indirect effects were found: a) higher negative urgency was associated with higher problematic use of SNSs via lower distress tolerance and b) higher self-regulation was associated with lower problematic use of SNSs via higher distress tolerance. Positive urgency, negative urgency and self-regulation had significant direct associations with problematic use of SNSs while neither component of emotion regulation was significantly associated with SNSs outcomes. No significant direct or indirect effects were found between any of the self-control features and time spent using SNSs. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight dysfunctional self-control, particularly emotion-driven impulsivity and low self-regulation, as relevant components of maladaptive SNSs that seem to operate by decreasing the perceived capacity to tolerate negative affect. In this context, interventions targeting the development and improvement of distress tolerance abilities might have a positive impact on problematic use of SNS.

Cannabis-Related Perceptions as Mediators of the Association Between Trait Impulsivity and Cannabis Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Normative perceptions have been shown to mediate the effect of personality traits on cannabis outcomes. We examined descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and the role of cannabis in college life as possible mediators of the association between impulsivity-related traits (i.e., negative urgency, positive urgency, sensation seeking, perseverance, and premeditation) and cannabis outcomes (i.e., frequency of cannabis use and negative consequences) among college students from five countries. METHOD: A total of 1,175 college students (United States, n = 698; Argentina, n = 153; Spain, n = 178; Uruguay, n = 79; and Netherlands, n = 67) who were also cannabis users (i.e., reported cannabis use at least once within the previous month) completed an online survey. We used path analysis to test whether the proposed double-mediated paths (impulsivity-like traits→perceived cannabis norms→cannabis use frequency→negative cannabis-related consequences) were invariant across countries/cultures. RESULTS: Cannabis-related perceptions, particularly college cannabis beliefs and injunctive norms, significantly mediated the association between impulsivity and cannabis outcomes. Two significant double-mediated paths, which were invariant across sex and countries, were found: (a) higher positive urgency→higher endorsement of internalized norms→higher cannabis use frequency→more negative cannabis-related consequences and (b) higher sensation seeking→higher endorsement of injunctive norms→higher cannabis use frequency→more negative cannabis-related consequences. CONCLUSIONS: The study corroborates previous findings on normative perceptions mediating the effects of impulsivity-like traits on cannabis outcomes and suggests that these processes may operate similarly among college student cannabis users in different legal and cultural contexts. The findings highlight the need to address internalized norms and suggest these normative perceptions may be a good intervention candidate to reduce cannabis use/consequences.

A comparison of cannabis protective behavioral strategies use across cultures and sex.

BACKGROUND: Cannabis protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are behaviors used before, during, after, and/or instead of cannabis use to reduce consumption, intoxication, and related harms. To leverage PBS to address the global health burden of cannabis use, especially in light of the changes in cannabis-related policies around the world, a better understanding of PBS across cultures is needed. In the present study, we conduct a cross-cultural examination of cannabis PBS use among college students. METHOD: Participants were 1175 college students (U.S. [n = 697], Argentina [n = 153], Uruguay [n = 46], Spain [n = 169], and the Netherlands [n = 66]) who reported past-month cannabis use (63.3% female; Mage = 20.96, SD = 3.95). RESULTS: We found differences in the frequency of cannabis PBS use across countries such that the U.S. and Spain samples reported the most frequent cannabis PBS use and the Netherlands sample reported the least frequent cannabis PBS use. Although not statistically significant, we found that cannabis PBS use was positively correlated with cannabis-related outcomes (i.e., frequency, quantity, and negative consequences of cannabis use) among the Argentina and the Netherlands samples. Finally, across all countries but the Netherlands, females reported more frequent cannabis PBS use than males, but the associations of PBS with cannabis-related outcomes were larger for males than females. CONCLUSIONS: Given preliminary evidence for cultural differences in cannabis PBS use, future research is needed to better understand the cultural factors underlying these differences to inform the delivery of interventions aimed at reducing the harms of cannabis among college students.

Preliminary validity and reliability evidence of the Brief Antisocial Behavior Scale (B-ABS) in young adults from four countries.

The present research built on the Self-Reported Delinquency interview and the Antisocial Behavior Scale to develop an updated brief instrument to measure antisocial behavior. College students (n = 3188, 67.75% women) from the USA, Argentina, the Netherlands and Spain completed an online survey. Analyses that combined approaches from the Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory were conducted to select the items for the brief version. Findings suggested that a 13-item Brief Antisocial Behavior Scale (B-ABS) fulfilled the high-quality criteria: salient factor loadings, adequate discrimination, variability in response endorsement, adequate fit based on infit/outfit values, nondifferent item functioning across the four participating countries, and Cronbach's alpha and ordinal omega coefficients higher than .70. The B-ABS scores generally significantly correlated with personality scores, mental health and marijuana outcomes, showing criterion-related validity evidence. Our overall findings suggest that B-ABS adequately assesses antisocial behavior in young adults from different countries/cultures.

ELSA 2018 Cohort: Protective Behavioral Strategies as Mediators of the Relationship between Risk Factors and Alcohol Outcomes in Argentinean College Freshmen.

AIMS: The present study examined which types of alcohol protective behavioral strategies ([PBSs], Manner of Drinking [MOD] strategies, Serious Harm Reduction [SHR] or Limiting/Stopping Drinking strategies [LSD]) mediate the effects of a comprehensive number of distal antecedents on alcohol drinking quantity and alcohol-related negative consequences. METHODS: A sample of 762 last-month college freshman drinkers from Argentina (Mean age = 19.60 ± 3.80) completed a survey that assessed alcohol outcomes (drinking quantity during a typical week and alcohol-related negative consequences), frequency of use of PBS and a set of distal antecedents (i.e. age at drinking onset, drinking motives, college alcohol beliefs and impulsivity-like traits). RESULTS: MOD significantly mediated the effects of college alcohol beliefs (higher beliefs were associated with lower MOD use) and coping motives (higher coping motives were associated with lower MOD use) on alcohol outcomes. SHR significantly mediated the effects of sex (women reported more frequent SHR use) and enhancement motives (higher motivation was associated with lower SHR use) on alcohol-related negative consequences. CONCLUSION: Our findings partially support a mediational role of PBS in the association between risk factors and alcohol outcomes, and offer valuable information for the design of interventions to reduce alcohol use in South-American college students. More studies examining PBS as mediators of distal antecedents are needed to fully understand the peculiarities of these associations in different cultures.

Contexts of alcohol use: A latent class analysis among Argentinean college students.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol use, and the association between alcohol-related variables and drinking outcomes, seem to be context dependent. We employed Latent Class Analysis, a person-centered approach, to identify distinct subpopulations based on contexts of alcohol use. We also examined if the resulting classes differ in a set of alcohol-related variables that hold promise as potential targets of interventions. METHOD: Argentinean college students N = 1083; 64 % women; M age = 19.73 ± 3.95) completed an online survey that assessed alcohol outcomes and related variables [motives for substance use, protective behavioral strategies (PBS) and normative perceptions of alcohol use]. RESULTS: Latent Class Analysis identified a 4-classes model for drinking contexts. These classes showed differential patterns of alcohol use (both in terms of frequency and quantity) and also differed in alcohol-related variables. Alcohol use was more prevalent in contexts characterized by the presence of peers, particularly the closest friend, small same-sex or coed groups. Close to 50 % of the sample reported drinking with family members. Students with a high probability of engaging in pregaming and nightclub drinking tend to use more PBS to control how much alcohol is consumed than those who do not drink in these contexts. All the classes significantly differed in their social reasons for drinking and in the number of alcohol-related negative consequences. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings revealed subpopulations of college students that are heterogeneous regarding contexts of alcohol use, patterns of use and in a number of relevant variables. These distinctive subpopulations require different targeted interventions.

Depressive symptoms, ruminative thinking, marijuana use motives, and marijuana outcomes: A multiple mediation model among college students in five countries.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have evidenced that rumination and drinking motives may mediate the association between depressive symptoms and alcohol outcomes. The present study cross-culturally examined whether a similar mediation model may extend to marijuana. Specifically, we tested distinct rumination facets (problem-focused thoughts, counterfactual thinking, repetitive thoughts, and anticipatory thoughts) and marijuana use motives (social, coping, expansion, conformity, enhancement) as double-mediators of the paths from depressive symptoms to marijuana outcomes (use and consequences). METHOD: A comprehensive mediation path model was tested in a cross-sectional sample of college student marijuana users (n = 1175) from five countries (U.S., Argentina, Uruguay, Spain, Netherlands). Multi-group models were tested to determine if the proposed mediational model was invariant across sex and different cultures/countries. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms and marijuana outcomes were indirectly associated through ruminative thinking and marijuana motives. Specifically, higher depressive symptoms were associated with higher problem-focused thoughts; which in turn were associated with: a) higher endorsement of coping motives which in turn was associated with higher marijuana use and related consequences and b) lower endorsement of enhancement motives which in turn was associated with lower marijuana use and related consequences. The multi-group analyses showed that the model was invariant across sex and the five countries. CONCLUSIONS: The present research supports the existence of a universal (i.e., cross-national invariant) negative affect regulation pathway to marijuana use/misuse similar to those previously found with alcohol. Additional research is needed to confirm the role of enhancement motives in the associations of depression, rumination and marijuana outcomes.

Negative marijuana-related consequences among college students in five countries: measurement invariance of the Brief Marijuana Consequences Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The 21-item Brief Marijuana Consequences Questionnaire (B-MACQ) has been shown to be a valid measure to assess negative marijuana-related consequences among US college students. The present study aimed to: (a) examine measurement invariance of the B-MACQ among college student marijuana users in five countries, (b) evaluate latent mean differences on the B-MACQ as a function of sex and country if invariance is met and (c) compare criterion-related validity across different countries and sex. DESIGN: Instrumental study. SETTING: Argentina, the Netherlands, Spain, Uruguay and United States. PARTICIPANTS: A subsample of last-month marijuana users who completed the B-MACQ (n = 1145; 62.9% female). MEASUREMENTS: The B-MACQ, several dimensions of marijuana use and perceptions of marijuana use. FINDINGS: Results supported configural and scalar invariance (all ΔCFI/TLI ≤ 0.01; ΔRMSEA ≤ 0.015) of a 20-item B-MACQ across sex and four countries (the Netherlands being the exception). In examining latent mean differences, Spanish students reported a higher number of consequences than US (P < 0.001) and Argentinian students (P = 0.003). In examining criterion-related validity, marijuana use indicators (0.01 < rs < 0.64), descriptive norms (0.04 < rs < 0.49) and injunctive norms for best friend (0.06 < rs < 0.28) largely had small-to-moderate positive correlations with negative marijuana-related consequences. CONCLUSIONS: The 20-item B-MACQ accurately assesses marijuana-related negative consequences among male and female college student marijuana users across the United States, Argentina, Spain and Uruguay. The B-MACQ could be used effectively to identify marijuana-related consequences in college students from different countries or cultures.

Cross-cultural examination of college marijuana culture in five countries: Measurement invariance of the Perceived Importance of Marijuana to the College Experience Scale.

Marijuana internalized norms, measured by the Perceived Importance of Marijuana to the College Experience Scale (PIMCES; 8 items), has been found to be distinct from marijuana descriptive/injunctive norms and to be a unique robust predictor of marijuana-related outcomes among college students, yet the role of these beliefs has not been studied outside the U.S. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the present work examined the level of measurement invariance (i.e., configural, metric, and scalar) of the PIMCES across five different countries with distinct marijuana-related regulations (i.e., U.S., Argentina, Spain, Uruguay, and the Netherlands), sex, and marijuana user status among college students (n = 3424) recruited between September 2017 and January 2018. To make valid comparisons across groups, metric invariance is needed to compare correlations and scalar invariance is needed to compare latent means. We found strong measurement invariance (i.e., scalar invariance) for the PIMCES across countries, across males and females, and across marijuana users and non-users. College students in the U.S. reported the highest levels of marijuana internalized norms compared to college students from all other countries. As expected, males and marijuana users showed significantly higher scores on the PIMCES than females and non-users, respectively. Bivariate correlations between PIMCES scores and other marijuana-related variables were remarkably similar across males and females, though differences across countries warrant further exploration. Taken together, the degree to which college students view marijuana use to be an integral part of the college experience may be an important target for college student marijuana interventions across various countries/cultures.

Cross-cultural examination of negative alcohol-related consequences: Measurement invariance of the Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire in Spain, Argentina, and USA.

The present study examined measurement invariance of the 48-item, 8-factor, Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (YAACQ) across nationality in college students from the United States, Spain, and Argentina. We also compared latent mean differences and criterion-related validity (i.e., correlation with other alcohol-related outcomes) across countries. Last month drinkers (1,511) from the United States (n = 774, 70.5% female), Argentina (n = 439, 50.6% female), and Spain (n = 298, 72.1% female) completed an online survey measuring alcohol use, drinking motives, college alcohol beliefs, and negative alcohol-related consequences. Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses supported configural and scalar invariance of a 47-item, 8-factor YAACQ across countries. Overall, the correlation analysis supported criterion-related validity (i.e., strong bivariate correlations between the 8 subscales and alcohol consumption, drinking motives and college alcohol beliefs) across countries. Some nonsignificant bivariate correlations and differences in the magnitude of the correlations across countries are discussed. Our findings expand previous work, mostly focused on U.S. samples, by supporting the YAACQ as an adequate measure to assess alcohol-related consequences in youths across countries marked by unique cultural traditions, attitudes, and policies pertaining to alcohol. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Cross-cultural examination of different personality pathways to alcohol use and misuse in emerging adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has identified different, but not mutually exclusive, etiological pathways (i.e., the positive affect regulation pathway, the negative affect regulation pathway and the deviance proneness pathway) to alcohol use and misuse in which personality characteristics play a key role. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to simultaneously and cross-culturally examine all these personality pathways to alcohol use in a large sample of young adult drinkers (N = 1280) from the US, Argentina, and Spain. METHOD: Structural equation modeling was conducted to test the models. Multi-group models were conducted to test model invariance across countries and gender groups. RESULTS: In the whole sample, low conscientiousness and extraversion were related to alcohol outcomes through enhancement drinking motives (i.e., positive affect regulation pathway), low emotional stability was related through coping drinking motives (i.e., negative affect regulation pathway), and low conscientiousness and low agreeableness were related through antisocial behavior (i.e., deviance proneness pathway). The model was invariant between gender groups. Some minor, yet significant, differences across countries arose. Specifically, antisocial behavior was a significant mediator of the association between agreeableness and alcohol use, but only in the US subsample. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that risky-personality pathways for alcohol use and alcohol-related problems may be generalized across gender groups and cultures in young adults.

Impulsivity-related traits, college alcohol beliefs, and alcohol outcomes: Examination of a prospective multiple mediation model among college students in Spain, Argentina, and USA.

OBJECTIVES: The present 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 student drinkers from the United States (U.S.), Spain, and Argentina. METHOD: A sample of 1429 (U.S. = 733, Spain = 292, Argentina = 404) drinkers (at least one drinking episode within the previous month) completed the baseline survey, and 242 drinkers completed the follow-up. To test study aims, a cross-sectional model was first employed to examine whether the proposed double-mediated paths (i.e., each dimension of impulsivity → college alcohol beliefs → alcohol use → negative alcohol-related consequences) extends across samples with different cultural backgrounds (i.e., structural invariance testing). A longitudinal model was then conducted to assess if college alcohol beliefs prospectively mediate the associations between trait impulsivity and alcohol outcomes. RESULTS: College alcohol beliefs were concurrently and prospectively associated with both greater alcohol use and increased number of negative alcohol-related consequences. These internalized beliefs about college student drinking culture significantly mediated the effects of several distinct impulsivity-related traits on alcohol-related outcomes including urgency (positive and negative), sensation seeking, and perseverance. These findings were invariant across gender and across three countries (Argentina, Spain, and the U.S.). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the modulatory role of cognitive factors on problematic alcohol use among college students with different cultural backgrounds. Our results suggest that, despite the cultural differences exhibited by these three countries, the unique and mediational effects of college alcohol beliefs appear relatively universal.