Acceptance of Drug Use Mediates Future Hard Drug Use Among At-Risk Adolescent Marijuana, Tobacco, and Alcohol Users.

Alternative high school (AHS) students typically report higher levels of alcohol and other drug use compared to students attending traditional high schools. Greater use of such drugs as heroin, methamphetamines, and cocaine in this at-risk population may be driven, in part, by a greater latitude of acceptance toward substance use in general, which may accelerate the transition from gateway drugs to hard drugs. Seven hundred seventy-seven adolescents (mean age 16.6; 56% female) were recruited from alternative high schools throughout Southern California. To understand the factors that may lead AHS students to use hard drugs, a model was tested in order to determine if AHS students' latitude of acceptance toward substance use was a mediator between the relationship of past use of gateway drugs and future use of hard drugs. Latitude of acceptance was found to be a statistically significant mediator of future hard drug use (b = 0.03, 95% confidence intervals = 0.01 to 0.05) among gateway drug users. An individual's latitude of acceptance to various drug use behaviors may be consistent with societal norms. However, after exposure to, or use of, gateway drugs, attitudes that are more permissive toward hard drug use may be encountered, the acceptance of hard drugs may expand, and the use of hard drugs may escalate. Interventions designed to reduce the use of hard drugs among at-risk youth may be more persuasive by crafting messages that are within the latitude of acceptance of the target population and prevent the acceptance of hard drug use.

Share of Advertising Voice at the Point-of-Sale and Its Influence on At-Risk Students' Use of Alternative Tobacco Products.

INTRODUCTION: As adolescent tobacco use shifts from traditional cigarettes to alternative products, it is important to understand the influence of point-of-sale (POS) advertising on product use. This research investigated whether the percentage of POS advertising for a particular product, known as the share of advertising voice (SAV), moderated the relationship between exposure to POS tobacco advertisements and tobacco use among at-risk youth. METHODS: Longitudinal self-report data from 746 students attending 20 alternative high schools in southern California was merged with observational data cataloging 2101 advertisements for cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco from 87 tobacco retail outlets within a half mile of the schools. Four multilevel Poisson regression models examined whether SAV interacted with POS tobacco advertising exposure to influence the use of tobacco products 1 year later. RESULTS: Adolescent exposure to POS tobacco advertisements was significantly associated with increased use of all four tobacco products (p < .02). When SAV was added to the model as a moderator, the results showed a significant interaction, such that increasing the SAV for e-cigarettes was associated with greater use of that product (ß = 0.27, SE = 0.07, p < .001). The same moderating effect was found for smokeless tobacco (ß = 0.56, SE = 0.19, p = .004) but no moderating effect was observed for cigarettes or cigars. CONCLUSION: POS SAV has the potential to influence at-risk students' use of alternative tobacco products and may be a contributing factor to recent nationwide shifts in youth tobacco use. IMPLICATIONS: Future studies should monitor changes in SAV to gain insight into POS marketing trends that may be impacting youth tobacco use. In addition, state and local governments should consider implementing policies that limit the volume and proportion of POS tobacco advertising for all nicotine and tobacco products available in retail environments near schools. Restrictions placed on a single product may cause unintended shifts in product selection rather than a reduction in youth tobacco use.

Acculturation and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Hispanic adolescents: The moderating effect of impulsivity.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is a risk factor for obesity. Acculturation to the United States (US) might increase sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among Hispanic adolescents, but few moderators of this relationship have been examined. This study examined the moderating influence of impulsivity on the association between acculturation and sugar-sweetened beverages. Hispanic adolescents (n = 154), 14-17 years, were identified and screened for eligibility through low-SES high schools and parents provided consent. Adolescents completed measures of acculturation using Unger's 8-item acculturation scale, impulsivity, and diet. Multiple linear regression was used to examine the main effect of acculturation and the interaction of acculturation with impulsivity on the diet outcomes: sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and percent of calories from sugar. Acculturation was positively associated with sugar-sweetened beverages (ß = 0.43; p < .05). The interaction of acculturation x impulsivity was significant (ß = 0.42, p < .05). Among youth who were more acculturated, those who were more impulsive consumed more sugar-sweetened beverages. Youth who were more acculturated, but less impulsive consumed less sugar-sweetened beverages. Neurocognitive variables such as impulsivity may be important moderators of the influence of acculturation on dietary behavior. Targeted messaging strategies based on levels of acculturation and impulsivity might enhance the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages among Hispanic adolescents.

The prevalence and marketing of electronic cigarettes in proximity to at-risk youths: An investigation of point-of-sale practices near alternative high schools.

This study examines the point-of-sale marketing practices used to promote electronic cigarettes at stores near schools that serve at-risk youth. One hundred stores selling tobacco products within a half mile of alternative high schools in Southern California were assessed for this study. Seventy percent of stores in the sample sold electronic cigarettes. Convenience stores heavily frequented by youth had the highest number of interior ads for e-cigarettes and were the most likely to employ in-store product placement strategies. Increased exposure to the promotion of these products at the point-of-sale poses a challenge for anti-smoking efforts directed toward vulnerable populations.

Self-regulation interventions to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in adolescents.

This study evaluated the efficacy of self-regulation interventions through the use of drink-specific implementation intentions and drink-specific Go/No-Go training tasks as compensatory strategies to modify inhibitory control to reduce intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). In a between-subjects randomized manipulation of implementation intentions and Go/No-Go training to learn to inhibit sugary drink consumption, 168 adolescents reporting inhibitory control problems over sugary drinks and foods were recruited from high schools in southern California to participate. Analysis of covariance overall test of effects revealed no significant differences between the groups regarding calories consumed, calories from SSBs, grams of sugar consumed from drinks, or the number of unhealthy drinks chosen. However, subsequent contrasts revealed SSB implementation intentions significantly reduced SSB consumption following intervention while controlling for inhibitory control failure and general SSB consumption during observation in a lab setting that provided SSBs and healthy drinks, as well as healthy and unhealthy snacks. Specifically, during post-intervention observation, participants in the sugar-sweetened beverage implementation intentions (SSB-II) conditions consumed significantly fewer calories overall, fewer calories from drinks, and fewer grams of sugar. No effects were found for the drink-specific Go/No-Go training on SSB or calorie consumption. However, participants in SSB-II with an added SSB Go/No-Go training made fewer unhealthy drink choices than those in the other conditions. Implementation intentions may aid individuals with inhibitory (executive control) difficulties by intervening on pre-potent behavioral tendencies, like SSB consumption.

Poor ability to resist tempting calorie rich food is linked to altered balance between neural systems involved in urge and self-control.

BACKGROUND: The loss of self-control or inability to resist tempting/rewarding foods, and the development of less healthful eating habits may be explained by three key neural systems: (1) a hyper-functioning striatum system driven by external rewarding cues; (2) a hypo-functioning decision-making and impulse control system; and (3) an altered insula system involved in the translation of homeostatic and interoceptive signals into self-awareness and what may be subjectively experienced as a feeling. METHODS: The present study examined the activity within two of these neural systems when subjects were exposed to images of high-calorie versus low-calorie foods using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and related this activity to dietary intake, assessed by 24-hour recall. Thirty youth (mean BMI = 23.1 kg/m2, range = 19.1 - 33.7; age =19.7 years, range = 14 - 22) were scanned using fMRI while performing food-specific go/nogo tasks. RESULTS: Behaviorally, participants more readily pressed a response button when go trials consisted of high-calorie food cues (HGo task) and less readily pressed the response button when go trials consisted of low-calorie food cues (LGo task). This habitual response to high-calorie food cues was greater for individuals with higher BMI and individuals who reportedly consume more high-calorie foods. Response inhibition to the high-calorie food cues was most difficult for individuals with a higher BMI and individuals who reportedly consume more high-calorie foods. fMRI results confirmed our hypotheses that (1) the "habitual" system (right striatum) was more activated in response to high-calorie food cues during the go trials than low-calorie food go trials, and its activity correlated with participants' BMI, as well as their consumption of high-calorie foods; (2) the prefrontal system was more active in nogo trials than go trials, and this activity was inversely correlated with BMI and high-calorie food consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Using a cross-sectional design, our findings help increase understanding of the neural basis of one's loss of ability to self-control when faced with tempting food cues. Though the design does not permit inferences regarding whether the inhibitory control deficits and hyper-responsivity of reward regions are individual vulnerability factors for overeating, or the results of habitual overeating.

Functional imaging of an alcohol-Implicit Association Test (IAT).

This research assessed activation in neural substrates involved in implicit associative processes through functional magnetic resonance imaging of an alcohol-Implicit Association Test (IAT) focused on positive outcomes of alcohol use. Comparisons involved 17 heavy and 19 light drinkers, ranging in age from 18 to 22, during compatible and incompatible association task trials. Behaviorally, a significant IAT effect was found with heavy drinkers showing stronger positive implicit associations toward alcohol use than light drinkers. Imaging data revealed heavy drinkers showed greater activity during compatible trials relative to incompatible trials in the left putamen and insula while no significant difference in activity between conditions was found in the light drinkers. Light drinkers showed significantly more activity in the left orbital frontal cortex during both compatible and incompatible trials than heavy drinkers, and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was engaged more in both light and heavy drinkers during incompatible trials relative to compatible trials. Further, within-group analyses showed significant amygdala activity along with the putamen and insula among heavy drinkers during compatible trials relative to incompatible trials. These results are consistent with a dual process framework of appetitive behaviors proposing that (1) implicit associations underlying habit are mediated through neural circuitry dependent on the striatum, and (2) controlled behaviors are mediated through neural circuitry more dependent on the prefrontal cortex. This is the first study to evaluate the neural mechanisms elicited by an alcohol-IAT, providing an additional step toward increasing understanding of associative habit processes and their regulatory influence over addictive behaviors.

Inhibitory control effects in adolescent binge eating and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and snacks.

Inhibitory control and sensitivity to reward are relevant to the food choices individuals make frequently. An imbalance of these systems can lead to deficits in decision-making that are relevant to food ingestion. This study evaluated the relationship between dietary behaviors - binge eating and consumption of sweetened beverages and snacks - and behavioral control processes among 198 adolescents, ages 14 to 17. Neurocognitive control processes were assessed with the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), a generic Go/No-Go task, and a food-specific Go/No-Go task. The food-specific version directly ties the task to food cues that trigger responses, addressing an integral link between cue-habit processes. Diet was assessed with self-administered food frequency and binge eating questionnaires. Latent variable models revealed marked gender differences. Inhibitory problems on the food-specific and generic Go/No-Go tasks were significantly correlated with binge eating only in females, whereas inhibitory problems measured with these tasks were the strongest correlates of sweet snack consumption in males. Higher BMI percentile and sedentary behavior also predicted binge eating in females and sweet snack consumption in males. Inhibitory problems on the generic Go/No-Go, poorer affective decision-making on the IGT, and sedentary behavior were associated with sweetened beverage consumption in males, but not females. The food-specific Go/No-Go was not predictive in models evaluating sweetened beverage consumption, providing some initial discriminant validity for the task, which consisted of sweet/fatty snacks as no-go signals and no sugar-sweetened beverage signals. This work extends research findings, revealing gender differences in inhibitory function relevant to behavioral control. Further, the findings contribute to research implicating the relevance of cues in habitual behaviors and their relationship to snack food consumption in an understudied population of diverse adolescents not receiving treatment for eating disorders.

Response inhibition moderates the association between drug use and risky sexual behavior.

BACKGROUND: HIV infection is problematic among all drug users, not only injection drug users. Drug users are at risk for contracting HIV by engaging in risky sexual behaviors. OBJECTIVE: The present study sought to determine whether inhibitory processes moderate the relationship between problematic drug use and HIV-risk behaviors (unprotected sex and multiple sex partners). METHODS: One hundred ninety-six drug offenders enrolled in drug education programs were administered a battery of computer-based assessments. Measures included a cued go/no-go assessment of inhibitory processes, the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) assessment of problematic drug use, and self-report assessment of condom use and multiple sex partners. RESULTS: Findings revealed that response inhibition assessed by the proportion of false alarms on the cued go/no-go moderated the relationship between problematic drug use and an important measure of HIV risk (condom nonuse) among drug offenders. However, response inhibition did not moderate the relationship between problematic drug use and another measure of HIV risk: multiple sex partners. CONCLUSIONS: Among this sample of drug offenders, we have found a relationship between problematic drug use and condom nonuse, which is exacerbated by poor control of inhibition. These findings have implications for the development of HIV intervention components among high-risk populations.

Dual process interaction model of HIV-risk behaviors among drug offenders.

This study evaluated dual process interaction models of HIV-risk behavior among drug offenders. A dual process approach suggests that decisions to engage in appetitive behaviors result from a dynamic interplay between a relatively automatic associative system and an executive control system. One synergistic type of interplay suggests that executive functions may dampen or block effects of spontaneously activated associations. Consistent with this model, latent variable interaction analyses revealed that drug offenders scoring higher in affective decision making were relatively protected from predictive effects of spontaneous sex associations promoting risky sex. Among drug offenders with lower levels of affective decision making ability, spontaneous sexually-related associations more strongly predicted risky sex (lack of condom use and greater number of sex partners). These findings help elucidate associative and control process effects on appetitive behaviors and are important for explaining why some individuals engage in risky sex, while others are relatively protected.

Deliberative and spontaneous cognitive processes associated with HIV risk behavior.

Dual process models of decision-making suggest that behavior is mediated by a spontaneous behavior selection process or by a more deliberative evaluation of behavioral options. We examined whether the deliberative system moderates the influence of spontaneous cognition on HIV-risk behaviors. A measure of spontaneous sex-related associations (word association), a measure of deliberative working memory capacity (operation span), and two measures of sexual behavior (condom use and multiple partners) were assessed in a cross-sectional study among 490 adult drug offenders. Significant effects were observed among men but not among women in two latent interaction models. In a novel finding, the accessibility of spontaneous safe sex-related associations was significantly more predictive of condom use among men with higher working memory capacity than among men with lower capacity. These results have implications for the design of interventions to promote safe sex practices.

Sweetened drink and snacking cues in adolescents: a study using ecological momentary assessment.

The objective of this study was to identify physical, social, and intrapersonal cues that were associated with the consumption of sweetened beverages and sweet and salty snacks among adolescents from lower SES neighborhoods. Students were recruited from high schools with a minimum level of 25% free or reduced cost lunches. Using ecological momentary assessment, participants (N=158) were trained to answer brief questionnaires on handheld PDA devices: (a) each time they ate or drank, (b) when prompted randomly, and (c) once each evening. Data were collected over 7days for each participant. Participants reported their location (e.g., school grounds, home), mood, social environment, activities (e.g., watching TV, texting), cravings, food cues (e.g., saw a snack), and food choices. Results showed that having unhealthy snacks or sweet drinks among adolescents was associated with being at school, being with friends, feeling lonely or bored, craving a drink or snack, and being exposed to food cues. Surprisingly, sweet drink consumption was associated with exercising. Watching TV was associated with consuming sweet snacks but not with salty snacks or sweet drinks. These findings identify important environmental and intrapersonal cues to poor snacking choices that may be applied to interventions designed to disrupt these food-related, cue-behavior linked habits.

Paradoxical effects of alcohol information on alcohol outcome expectancies.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive associations with alcohol predict both current and future use in youth and young adults. Much cognitive and social cognitive research suggests that exposure to information may have unconscious influences on thinking and behavior. The present study assessed the impact of information statements on the accessibility of alcohol outcome expectancies. METHODS: The 2 studies reported here investigated the effects of exposure to alcohol statements typical of informational approaches to prevention on the accessibility of alcohol outcome expectancies. High school and university students were presented with information statements about the effects of alcohol and other commercial products. The alcohol statements were taken from expectancy questionnaires. Some of these statements were presented as facts and others as myths. The retention of detailed information about these statements was manipulated by (i) divided attention versus focused attention or (ii) immediate versus delayed testing. Accessibility of personal alcohol outcome expectancies was subsequently measured using an open-ended question about the expected effects of alcohol. RESULTS: Participants reported more alcohol outcomes seen during the information task as personal expectations about the effects of alcohol use than similar unseen items. Paradoxically, myth statements were also more likely to be reported as expectancies than unseen items in all conditions. Additionally, myth statements were generated less often than fact statements only under the condition of immediate testing with strong content processing instructions. CONCLUSIONS: These observations are consistent with findings from cognitive research where familiarity in the absence of explicit memory can have an unconscious influence on performance. In particular, the exposure to these items in an informational format increases accessibility of the seen items even when the participants were told that they were myths. The findings have implications for the development of effective prevention materials.

Sociodemographic and metabolic risk characteristics associated with metabolic weight categories in the Women's Health Initiative.

To identify sociodemographic and metabolic correlates of weight categories in postmenopausal women. METHODS: The Women's Health Initiative enrolled 161 808 postmenopausal women ages 50-79. We included those free of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and with CVD risk factors and biomarkers (n = 19 412). Normal weight was defined as a BMI ≥18.5 and <25 kg/m2 and waist circumference <88 cm and overweight/obesity as a BMI ≥25 kg/m2 or waist circumference ≥88 cm. Metabolically healthy was based on <2 and metabolically unhealthy ≥2 traits: triglycerides ≥150 mg/dl, systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥130 mmHg or diastolic BP ≥85 mmHg or antihypertensives or diuretics, fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dl or diabetes medication, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <50 mg/dl. Polytomous multinomial logistic regression with generalized link logit function provided the odds of metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW), metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUHNW), metabolically healthy overweight/obese (MHO), and metabolically unhealthy overweight/obese (MUHO) according to demographic and risk factor measures. RESULTS: Among the 19 412 postmenopausal women, 2369 (12.2%) participants had prevalent diabetes. Advanced age was associated with an increased odds of MUHNW as compared with the MHNW after adjusting for covariates [odds ratio (OR) 1.04, P < 0.0001]. Black/African American ethnicity was associated with a decreased odds of MUHNW (OR 0.64, P < 0.0001) and MUHO (OR 0.77, P = 0.0004), while an increased odds for MHO (OR 1.50, P < 0.0001) as compared with White MHNW. CONCLUSIONS: Advanced age and ethnicity are important indicators of metabolic weight categories among postmenopausal women.

Incidence of diabetes according to metabolically healthy or unhealthy normal weight or overweight/obesity in postmenopausal women: the Women's Health Initiative.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship of metabolic weight categories with incident diabetes mellitus (DM) in postmenopausal women. METHODS: The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) enrolled 161,808 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years. We included those with cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers and free of CVD and prevalent DM (n = 17,043) at baseline. Normal weight was defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥18.5 and <25 kg/m, and waist circumference (WC) <88 cm and overweight/obesity as a BMI ≥25 kg/m or WC ≥88 cm. Metabolically healthy was based on <2 and metabolically unhealthy ≥2 traits of the following: triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL, systolic blood pressure (BP) ≥130 mm Hg or diastolic BP ≥85 mm Hg, or antihypertensives or diuretics, fasting glucose ≥100 mg/dL or DM medication, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <50 mg/dL. Cox regression was performed to determine the risk of incident DM among metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW), metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUHNW), metabolically healthy overweight/obese (MHO), and metabolically unhealthy overweight/obese (MUHO). RESULTS: Among our sample, 2,253 (13.3%) participants developed DM over a mean ± standard deviation follow-up time of 15.6 ±â€Š3.4 years. Compared with MHNW (n = 162 incident DM cases), an increased risk of incident DM was observed in MUHNW (n = 102 cases) (hazard ratio [HR] 2.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.74-2.88, P < 0.0001), MHO (n = 624 cases) (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.40-2.00, P < 0.0001), and MUHO (n = 1,365 cases) (HR 4.51, 95% CI 3.82-5.35, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Among postmenopausal women, MUHNW and MHO confer an approximate doubling in the risk and MUHO more than a four-fold increased risk for developing DM.

Influence of motivational interviewing on explicit and implicit alcohol-related cognition and alcohol use in at-risk adolescents.

Both implicit and explicit cognitions play an important role in the development of addictive behavior. This study investigated the influence of a single-session motivational interview (MI) on implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognition and whether this intervention was successful in consequently decreasing alcohol use in at-risk adolescents. Implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognitions were assessed at pretest and one month posttest in 125 Dutch at-risk adolescents ranging in age from 15 to 23 (51 males) with adapted versions of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and an expectancy questionnaire. Motivation to change, alcohol use and alcohol-related problems were measured with self-report questionnaires, at pretest, at posttest after one month, and at the six-month follow-up. Although the quality of the intervention was rated positively, the results did not yield support for any differential effects of the intervention on drinking behavior or readiness to change at posttest and six-month follow-up. There were indications of changes in implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognitions between pretest and posttest. Our findings raise questions regarding the use of MI in this particular at-risk adolescent population and the mechanisms through which MI is effective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

Is (poly-) substance use associated with impaired inhibitory control? A mega-analysis controlling for confounders.

Many studies have reported that heavy substance use is associated with impaired response inhibition. Studies typically focused on associations with a single substance, while polysubstance use is common. Further, most studies compared heavy users with light/non-users, though substance use occurs along a continuum. The current mega-analysis accounted for these issues by aggregating individual data from 43 studies (3610 adult participants) that used the Go/No-Go (GNG) or Stop-signal task (SST) to assess inhibition among mostly "recreational" substance users (i.e., the rate of substance use disorders was low). Main and interaction effects of substance use, demographics, and task-characteristics were entered in a linear mixed model. Contrary to many studies and reviews in the field, we found that only lifetime cannabis use was associated with impaired response inhibition in the SST. An interaction effect was also observed: the relationship between tobacco use and response inhibition (in the SST) differed between cannabis users and non-users, with a negative association between tobacco use and inhibition in the cannabis non-users. In addition, participants' age, education level, and some task characteristics influenced inhibition outcomes. Overall, we found limited support for impaired inhibition among substance users when controlling for demographics and task-characteristics.

Alcohol, drugs, and condom use among drug offenders: an event-based analysis.

BACKGROUND: Studies of the association between substance use and condom use in specific sexual encounters often do not separate the effects of alcohol and different types of drugs. Because the pharmacological effects and social settings of various substances differ, their effects on unprotected intercourse may vary as well. GOAL: This study examined the relationship between alcohol and drug use and the use of condoms in sexual encounters with casual partners in a high-risk population of drug offenders. DESIGN: Participants in court-ordered drug diversion programs (n=536; 26% female) completed a questionnaire in which they reported on the circumstances of their most recent sexual encounter with a casual partner. RESULTS: In multivariate logistic models, alcohol use in conjunction with sex was not related to decreased condom use in either men or women. Amphetamines (smoked or injected) were associated with decreased condom use, while cocaine, marijuana, and orally-administered amphetamines were not significantly associated with condom use. CONCLUSIONS: In this high-risk sample, links between substance use and unprotected sex differ with type of drug used.

Interactions between implicit and explicit cognition and working memory capacity in the prediction of alcohol use in at-risk adolescents.

Dual process models of addiction suggest that the influence of alcohol-related cognition might be dependent on the level of executive functioning. This study investigated if the interaction between implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognitions and working memory capacity predicted alcohol use after 1 month in at-risk youth. Implicit and explicit alcohol-related cognitions were assessed in 88 Dutch at-risk adolescents ranging in age from 14 to 20 (51 males) with an adapted version of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and an expectancy questionnaire. Working memory capacity was assessed using the computer-based version of the Self-Ordered Pointing Task (SOPT). Alcohol use and alcohol-related problems were measured at baseline and after 1 month with self-report questionnaires. The hierarchical regression analysis showed that both the interaction between implicit positive-arousal cognitions and working memory capacity and the interaction between explicit positive-arousal cognitions and working memory capacity predicted unique variance in alcohol use after 1 month. Implicit positive-arousal cognitions predicted alcohol use after 1 month more strongly in students with lower levels of working memory capacity, whereas explicit positive-arousal cognitions predicted 1-month follow-up alcohol use more strongly in students with higher levels of working memory capacity. This could imply that different intervention methods could be effective for different subgroups of at-risk youth.

Working memory capacity moderates the predictive effects of drug-related associations on substance use.

Some theories suggest that spontaneously activated, drug-related associations in memory may have a "freer reign" in predicting drug use among individuals with lower working memory capacity. This study evaluated this hypothesis among 145 at-risk youth attending continuation high schools (CHS). This is the 1st study to evaluate this type of dual-process interaction in the prediction of drug use among a sample of at-risk adolescents. The CHS students completed assessments of drug-related memory associations, working memory capacity, and drug use. Control variables included age, gender, ethnicity, and acculturation. Robust multiple regression using least trimmed squares estimation indicated that there was a significant linear by linear interaction between working memory capacity (assessed with the self-ordered pointing task) and drug-related associations (assessed with verb generation and cue-behavior association tasks) in the prediction of alcohol and cigarette use. Consistent with dual-process cognitive theories, drug-related associations in memory predicted drug use more strongly in students with lower levels of working memory capacity. These findings add to the literature implicating the influence of dual cognitive processes in adolescent risk behaviors.