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The authors examined the extent to which religious coping predicted subsequent drug use in adolescent boys. Three hundred and twenty-six adolescent boys completed the Wills Coping Questionnaire (Wills, 1985) as well as a number of drug use inventories. Results showed that religious coping, measured at 12-14 years of age, predicted a significant reduction in number of drugs used, frequency of drug use, and problems associated with drug use measured at 15-16 years of age. These results were maintained even when controlling for age and other key coping variables. These findings may have implications for treatment and prevention efforts, specifically for populations who are amenable to "spiritual" interventions.

Objective: This investigation attempted to determine whether trait and state hostile rumination functioned as risk factors for the relation between acute alcohol intoxication and aggression. Method: Participants were 516 social drinkers (252 men and 264 women). Trait hostile rumination was assessed using Caprara's Dissipation Rumination Scale. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a laboratory task in which electric shocks were received from and administered to a fictitious opponent under the guise of a competitive reaction-time task. Aggression was operationalized as the combined mean responses for shock intensity and duration across all trials. In a subset of the sample (n = 320), state hostile rumination was assessed following the aggression task using a self-report measure. Results: As expected, both trait and state measures acted as moderators. Specifically, acute alcohol intoxication was more likely to increase aggression in persons with higher trait and state hostile rumination scores compared with their equally intoxicated lower rumination counterparts. Conclusions: This was the first investigation to demonstrate that trait or state rumination significantly heighten the risk of intoxicated aggression. We believe that hostile rumination facilitates intoxicated aggression because ruminators have difficulty diverting their attention away from anger-provoking stimuli and related thoughts, thus making violent reactions more likely. Clinical and public health interventions would benefit by developing strategies to distract ruminative attention away from violence-promoting messages, especially when persons are under the influence of alcohol. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs. 72. 545 554, 2011), Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.--Siddhartha Gautama, The Buddha ACUTE [...]

Objective: Numerous studies have examined the impact of alcohol on violence; however, only a small number have addressed differences elicited by different doses of alcohol. Such studies are limited by mixed findings, small sample sizes, inconsistent alcohol doses and control conditions, a bias toward studying only male participants, and the predominant use of only one particular measure to assess aggression. The present laboratory investigation was designed to elucidate and advance this literature by improving on these limitations. Method: Participants were 187 (95 men and 92 women) social drinkers. Following the consumption of one of six alcohol doses (i.e., 0.0 g/kg, 0.125 g/kg, 0.25 g/kg, 0.5 g/kg, 0.75 g/kg, and 1.0 g/kg), participants were tested on a laboratory task in which electric shocks were received from and administered to a fictitious opponent under the guise of a competitive reaction-time task. Aggression was operationalized as the intensity and duration of shocks administered to one's 'opponent.' Results: Analyses revealed a highly significant positive linear trend between alcohol dose and aggression for both genders. Conclusions: Our data aid in clarifying a body of literature that has been afflicted with numerous limitations and will help guide the selection of alcohol doses for researchers conducting future laboratory-based aggression studies. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 72, 34-43, 2011), The first draught serveth for health, the second for pleasure, the third for shame, and the fourth for madness. ~ Anacharsis THE FACT THAT ALCOHOL INTOXICATION facilitates violence is no [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.06.015 Byline: Peter R. Giancola Keywords: Executive functioning; Aggression; Alcohol use Abstract: The research literature on the relation between cognitive functioning and alcohol consumption is inconsistent and difficult to interpret. The purpose of this study was to test a causal model that might help reconcile some of these conflicts. The model specifies that aggressivity is an important intermediary mechanism underlying the relation between executive functioning (EF) and alcohol consumption. Participants were 310 (152 men and 158 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age tested in a laboratory setting. EF was measured with a battery of neuropsychological tests. Aggressivity and alcohol consumption (as well as cigarette and drug use frequency) were measured with self-report and interview formats. Aggressivity played a mechanistic role in the relation between EF and alcohol/drug use for men but not for women. Women evinced some unexpected positive relations between EF and alcohol use. This study serves as a first step in trying to reconcile previous inconsistent findings regarding the relation between cognitive functioning and alcohol use by demonstrating that a better understanding of this relation involves considering aggressivity as an intermediary variable. Author Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 115 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, United States

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.02.019 Byline: Peter R. Giancola (a), Dominic J. Parrott (b), Robert M. Roth (c) Keywords: Alcohol; Aggression; Temperament; Executive functioning Abstract: The purpose of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that executive functioning (EF) would mediate the relation between difficult temperament (DT) and intoxicated aggression. Participants were 165 social drinking men and women between the ages of 21-35years old. DT was measured using the Dimension of Temperament Scale - Revised and EF was measured using seven well-established neuropsychological tests. Following consumption of an alcoholic beverage, participants were tested on a laboratory aggression measure in which electric shocks were received from and administered to a fictitious opponent under the guise of a competitive reaction time task. Aggression was operationalized as shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. Results indicated that EF successfully mediated the relation between DT and intoxicated aggression for men but not for women. These findings are discussed with regard to how they influence current models of aggressive behavior as well as their implications for future violence prevention efforts. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 115 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, USA (b) Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, USA (c) Department of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Medical School, USA Article Note: (footnote) [star] This research was supported by grant R01-AA-11691 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Objective: The primary goal of this study was to determine the moderating effect of a history of heavy episodic drinking on the alcohol-aggression relation in men and women. Method: Participants were 310 (152 men and 158 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. Drinking history was operationalized as participants' average number of alcoholic drinks consumed per drinking occasion during the past year. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. Results: Alcohol increased aggression only among highly provoked men who reported a history of heavy episodic drinking. A history of high-frequency drinking did not moderate the alcohol-aggression relation. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of considering a history of heavy episodic drinking in the prediction of intoxicated aggression., IT IS WELL ESTABLISHED that acute alcohol consumption facilitates aggressive behavior (Bushman and Cooper, 1990; Chermack and Giancola, 1997; Ito et al., 1996). Correlational studies indicate that approximately 50% of [...]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of alcohol expectancies on intoxicated aggression in men and women while controlling for dispositional aggressivity. Method: Subjects were 328 (163 men and 165 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. Alcohol expectancies were measured using items from a variety of validated self-report inventories. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, subjects were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm, in which mild electric shocks were received from and administered to a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. Results: On their own, alcohol expectancies played a limited role in impacting aggressive behavior. Specifically, alcohol expectancies were significantly related to aggression for men who received the placebo beverage under low provocation and for men who received alcohol under high provocation. A significant main effect of alcohol expectancies was also detected. However, all of these effects were rendered nonsignificant when controlling for dispositional aggressivity. It is important to note that the main effect for beverage group remained significant after controlling for dispositional aggressivity. Conclusions: Taken as a whole, this pattern of findings suggests that intoxicated aggression is primarily the result of alcohol's pharmacological properties in conjunction with an aggressive personality., ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IS RELATED to interpersonal aggression (reviewed in Bushman and Cooper, 1990; Ito et al., 1996). This association has been documented by both correlational and experimental studies. Correlational research [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2005.02.011 Byline: Peter R. Giancola, Dominic J. Parrott Keywords: Alcohol; Aggression; Drug Use; Sensation seeking; Impulsivity Abstract: The goals of this study were to determine the effects of past-year stimulant and sedative drug use on alcohol-related aggression and to examine whether the relation between stimulant drug use and intoxicated aggression is better accounted for by behavioral disinhibition. Participants were 330 healthy social drinkers (164 men and 166 women) between 21 and 35 years of age. Past-year stimulant and sedative use and behavioral disinhibition were assessed via self-report questionnaires. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm [Taylor, S. (1967). Aggressive behavior and physiological arousal as a function of provocation and the tendency to inhibit aggression. Journal of Personality, 35, 297-310] in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. Results indicated that alcohol significantly strengthened the relation between stimulant drug use and aggression, but only among men. Behavioral disinhibition did not account for this effect. Regardless of past-year drug use, alcohol did not facilitate aggression among women. The present findings suggest that stimulant drug use may be a risk factor for intoxicated aggression for men. However, the underlying mechanisms accounting for this effect remain unclear. Author Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 115 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506-0044, United States

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to replicate and extend findings from a previous study on the acute effects of alcohol on aggressive behavior in men and women in a laboratory setting. Method: Subjects were 234 (111 men and 123 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. They were randomly assigned to either an alcohol or a placebo group. Aggression was measured using a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm, in which electric shocks are received from and administered to a fictitious opponent during a supposed competitive interpersonal task. Aggression was operationalized as the intensity and duration of shocks that subjects administered to their 'opponent.' Results: Provocation was a stronger elicitor of aggression than either gender or alcohol. Overall, alcohol increased aggression for men but not for women. Conclusions: In conjunction with other laboratory investigations on alcohol-related aggression, this study suggests that alcohol increases aggression for men but not for women. This finding may be due to gender-related differences in liability thresholds for aggression as well as discrepancies in how men and women respond to different forms of provocation., THERE IS A WELL-ESTABLISHED relationship between acute alcohol consumption and aggressive behavior (Bushman and Cooper, 1990; Chermack and Giancola, 1997; Ito et al., 1996). Survey studies have implicated alcohol in [...]

The primary goal of this investigation was to determine whether executive functioning (EF) would moderate the alcohol-aggression relation. Participants were 310 (152 men and 158 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. EF as well as non-EF skills were measured with 13 validated neuropsychological tests. Following the consumption of either an alcoholic or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (S. Taylor, 1967), in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent. EF was negatively related to aggressive behavior for men, regardless of beverage group, even when controlling for non-EF skills. Furthermore, alcohol increased aggression only for men with lower EF scores. Finally, the mere belief that alcohol was consumed suppressed aggression for women but not for men.

The author investigated the influence of dispositional empathy on alcohol-related aggression in men and women. Participants were 204 (111 men, 93 women) healthy social drinkers, 21-35 years old. Dispositional empathy was measured with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Following the consumption of either an alcoholic or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Alcohol increased aggression for persons (particularly men) with lower, as opposed to higher, levels of empathy. Men with lower empathy levels exhibited the most aggression followed by men with higher empathy levels. Women displayed the least aggression regardless of their empathy levels.

This investigation examined variables that might qualify or detail the widely accepted relation between negative affectivity and drug use in adolescent boys. In Study 1, 311 boys (15-17 years old) completed inventories of negative affectivity, positive affectivity, constraint, delinquency, peer delinquency, and drug use. Negative affectivity was positively related to drug use, but only for individuals exhibiting high peer delinquency or low constraint. Study 2 examined mechanisms for this relation by following up 143 of the participants at ages 17-20 years. Delinquency and peer delinquency mediated the relation between negative affectivity and later drug use. These findings suggest that the relation between negative affectivity and drug use is best understood within the context of other drug use risk factors.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of dispositional aggressivity on the alcohol-aggression relation in men and women. Method: Subjects were 204 healthy social drinkers (111 men) between 21 and 35 years of age. Dispositional aggressivity was measured using the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or placebo beverage, subjects were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm, in which electric shocks are received from and administered to a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Aggression was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. Results: Of all the variables, provocation was the strongest elicitor of aggression. Overall, persons with high dispositional aggressivity exhibited more aggression than did those with low dispositional aggressivity. Alcohol increased aggression for persons with high, but not for those with low, dispositional aggressivity. This effect was stronger under conditions of low provocation. Furthermore, men and women with low dispositional aggressivity did not differ in aggression. Men with high dispositional aggressivity, however, were more aggressive than their female counterparts. Conclusions: This is the first investigation to examine the influence of dispositional aggressivity on the alcohol-aggression relation in men and women. The results highlight the fact that alcohol consumption does not increase aggression in all persons and in all situations. An important goal for future research is to identify which individual difference and contextual factors are most important in determining who will, and will not, behave in an aggressive manner when intoxicated. (J. Stud. Alcohol 63: 696-708, 2002), THE RELATION between alcohol consumption and interpersonal aggression is well documented by both correlational and experimental studies (reviewed in Bushman and Cooper, 1990; Chermack and Giancola, 1997; Ito et al., [...]

Objective: The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the research literature on alcohol-related aggression with a focus on college students. Method: Data from both survey studies and experimental laboratory investigations conducted on college students are reviewed. Various methodological approaches to studying the alcohol-aggression relation, and their associated limitations, are then presented and discussed. Results: The literature indicates that alcohol consumption facilitates aggressive behavior and increases the risk of being the victim of a violent act, particularly in heavy drinkers. Results from these studies are then placed into a context by reviewing 12 influential theories of aggression and alcohol-related aggression. On the basis of these theories and empirical data, a preliminary risk profile is presented to help identify which factors are likely to be important in predicting who will and who will not become aggressive after drinking alcohol. Conclusions: Although much research is still needed to elucidate the intricate causes of alcohol-related aggression, current prevention efforts might focus on modifying key risk factors such as poor cognitive functioning and inaccurate expectations about the effects of alcohol. Other prevention efforts directed specifically at college students might focus on helping them to identify risky situations that might facilitate the expression of intoxicated aggression. (J. Stud. Alcohol, Supplement No. 14: 129-139, 2002), ENTRANCE INTO college marks a time of significant change in the life of a young adult. For many students, college is a place where drinking alcohol either begins or increases [...]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the manner in which acute alcohol consumption and provocation affect aggressive behavior in men and women. Method: Subjects were 102 (56 men) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. Aggression was measured using a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm, in which electric shocks are received from and administered to a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Results: Provocation was a stronger elicitor of aggression than either gender or alcohol. Under low provocation, men were more aggressive than were women. Under high provocation, men and women were equally aggressive, except in the case of extreme aggression, in which men again exhibited higher levels than did women. Alcohol increased aggression for men but not for women. Conclusions: These results are important because there now appears to be some convergence among studies indicating that, whereas provocation and alcohol are effective in lifting inhibitions against the expression of aggression for men, only provocation seems to be an effective aggression-elicitor for women., IT IS NOW well established, by both correlational and experimental studies, that alcohol consumption facilitates aggressive behavior (reviewed in Bushman and Cooper, 1990; Chermack and Giancola, 1997; Ito et al., [...]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test a model of substance use in adolescent males. The model is based on the premise that cognitive distortions and poor constructive thinking represent weaknesses in the ability to adaptively cope with everyday problems. It is postulated that failures in adaptive coping result in increased negative affectivity (e.g., frustration, anger, and anxiety), which fosters substance use as a means of alleviating unpleasant feelings. Method: Subjects (N = 276) were 15- to 17-year-old males with a positive (FHP; n = 118) or a negative (FHN; n = 158) family history of a substance use disorder (SUD). Subjects completed self-report measures of constructive thinking, cognitive distortions, negative affectivity, substance use frequency and substance use problems. Results: Negative affectivity mediated the relations between constructive thinking and both substance use variables, in separate analyses, for the FNP and FHN groups. Negative affectivity also moderated the relation between constructive thinking and substance use frequency, such that constructive thinking was negatively related to substance use frequency but only for individuals high in negative affectivity. Conclusions: Poor constructive thinking skills are related to increased substance use in adolescent males, in part through an association with greater negative affectivity. SUD treatment and prevention efforts may benefit from strategies aimed at improving constructive thinking abilities and reducing negative affectivity. (J Stud. Alcohol 62: 675-686, 2001), ********** ADOLESCENTS WITH A POSITIVE family history (FHP) of a substance use disorder (SUD) are at high risk for the development of an SUD compared with their family history negative [...]

Objective: This study had four objectives: (1) to determine whether female adolescents with a psychoactive substance use disorder are more impaired than controls on a battery of neuropsychological tests of Executive Cognitive Functioning (ECF); (2) to determine whether these individuals exhibit higher levels of disruptive, delinquent and aggressive behavior compared with controls; (3) to determine whether ECF is related to disruptive, delinquent and aggressive behavior in this population; and (4) to determine whether these relations are moderated by drug use. Method: Multiple indicators of ECF, and disruptive, delinquent and aggressive behavior, as well as drug use, were used to test these relations in a sample of 188 female adolescents who qualified for a DSM-III-R diagnosis of a psychoactive substance use disorder (PSUD) and 95 normal controls between the ages of 14-18 years (N = 283). Results: Hierarchical multiple regression equations determined that ECF was related to disruptive, delinquent and aggressive behavior even when chronological age, SES and drug use were accounted for. The final regression models suggested that drug use was more strongly related to disruptive and delinquent behavior, whereas ECF was more strongly related to aggression. Drug use did not moderate any relation between ECF and the dependent measures. Conclusions: One implication of these results is that violence prevention and treatment outcomes may be ameliorated by incorporating cognitive habilitation of ECF as an integral component of multimodel interventions. (J. Stud. Alcohol 59: 560-567, 1998), A study was conducted to test if female adolescents with substance abuse disorder are more impaired on a variety of neuropsychological tests of Executive Cognitive Functioning (ECF). Furthermore, researchers wanted to determine if these individuals exhibit more aggressive and delinquent behavior than controls and whether these factors are moderated by drug use. The study suggested that drug use is related to delinquent and disruptive behavior, while ECF is more related to aggression., A GROWING NUMBER of studies have documented a relation between Executive Cognitive Functioning (ECF) and aggressive behavior (reviewed in Giancola, 1995; Moffitt, 1993). ECF encompasses 'higher-order' cognitive abilities such as [...]

The authors assessed the biphasic effects of alcohol on human physical aggression. Sixty male social drinkers were assigned to 1 of 4 groups: alcohol ascending limb (AAL), alcohol descending limb (ADL), or 1 of 2 sober control groups. Aggression was assessed in the AAL and ADL groups at respective ascending or descending blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) of 0.08%. Each participant in the control groups was respectively yoked with a participant in either the AAL or the ADL group to control for the longer period of time needed to reach a BAC of 0.08% on the descending limb compared with the ascending limb (i.e., passage of time effect). The authors measured aggression using a modified version of the Taylor aggression paradigm (S. Taylor, 1967), in which electric shocks are received from and administered to a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. The AAL group was more aggressive than the ADL group. There were no differences between the ADL group and the control groups, which suggests that alcohol does not appear to increase aggression on the descending limb. The control groups did not differ in aggression, thus ruling out a passage of time effect.

Objective: This study had three purposes: (1) to assess the underlying factor structure Of a battery of neuropsychological tests putatively measuring executive cognitive functioning (ECF) in a sample of boys at high and low risk for substance abuse/dependence: (2) to assess the relationship between EcF and aggressive behavior; and (3) to determine the interactive effects Of ECF and a family history (FH) of substance dependence on aggressive behavior. Method: Multiple measures of ECF and aggressive behavior were used to test these relationships in a sample of 291 10-12 year old boys with and without a FH of substance dependence. Results: Analyses indicated that the measures of ECF loaded on one factor. ECF was related to aggressive behavior even when accounting for IQ and SES. The interaction between ECF and a EH Of substance dependence was also associated with aggressive behavior. Conclusions: The central finding of this investigation indicates thaI ECF and its interaction with a EH of substance dependence are associated with aggressive behavior. These results suggest that violence prevention and treatment efforts in high risk groups should incorporate cognitive habilitation focusing on training in ECFs. (J. Stud. Alcohol 57: 352-359.1996), Executive cognitive functioning (ECF) defects and aggressive behavior are correlated in children aged ten to 12 years with psychoactive substance dependence disorder. The relationship is seen only under strong provocation and is absent in the presence of mild provocation. ECF and aggression are related even after family history, IQ and socioeconomic status are taken into account. ECF is also related to oppositional defiant disorder. ECF measures show a slight difference in results and are good unidimensional predictors for aggressive behavior in preadolescent boys., Psychiatric disorders characterized by disinhibited and antisocial behavior have been linked to deficits in executive cognitive functioning (ECF) (Cole et al., 1993; Moffitt, 1993; Tarter et al., 1985). These functions [...]

Alcohol-related aggressive behavior in women is different than alcohol-related aggression in men. Researchers chose 64 men and 64 women for trials in which the participants were administered alcohol, given various levels of small electric shocks, then asked to participate in a bogus response-time competition where the loser is given a shock by the winner at a strength and duration of the winner.s choosing. Women were more likely to be indirect, giving what they perceived as a lower strength shock for a longer duration regardless of the gender of the opponent. Men were more likely to be either directly aggressive, administering a strong shock, or indirectly aggressive; they were generally more directly aggressive towards male opponents than female opponents.