Individual differences in subjective response to alcohol have been implicated as a risk factor for the development of alcohol use disorders. There are, however, a variety of ethical, legal, and practical considerations surrounding alcohol administration studies which limit the extent to which this marker can be used to identify those believed to be at greater risk. The current research contains two related laboratory studies with the overall goal of identifying valid and reliable correlates of individual differences in subjective response to alcohol that can be used to discern emerging adults at greater risk for problematic drinking. Study 1 evaluated the associations between the actual subjective experience of a moderate dose of alcohol (BAC .08%) and three domains of potential correlates: anticipated subjective response based on a hypothetical drinking scenario (targeted .08% BAC); response to other physiological and perceptual challenges (e.g., CO2 challenge, spinning challenge); and indices of cognitive impairment implicated as risk factors for the development of alcohol use disorders. Study 2 examined each of these domains in relation to transitions in heavy drinking from high school to college to determine whether they were associated with changes in relative risk during this developmental period. Overall, the results provide support for the utility of examining individual differences in subjective response to alcohol based on a hypothetical drinking scenario. The evidence suggests that experienced drinkers are capable of reliably and accurately estimating their subjective response to alcohol, that these anticipated effects are distinct from general beliefs about the effects of alcohol on behavior (i.e., alcohol expectancies), and that they are associated with patterns of drinking in emerging adults. There was little evidence to suggest that individual differences in subjective response to alcohol were associated with subjective response to other physiological or perceptual challenges, or patterns of cognitive impairment previously shown to be related to an increased risk for alcohol dependence. The results of the current study support the utility of using measures of anticipated subjective response as a proxy for individual differences in subjective response to alcohol when the administration of alcohol is either not appropriate or feasible.

Background: Alcohol-related sexual victimization and consequences (AViC) disproportionately affect first-year college women in the U.S. Heavy drinking and social factors typical of the college context have been linked to increased AViC risk, while the use of drinking-related and social protective behaviors have been shown to decrease risk. However, there is limited work simultaneously examining these behaviors, specifically at the event-level. Objective: The current study examined the effects of alcohol use, drinking protective behaviors, social protective behaviors, and contextual risk factors on AViC at the global level, using a prospective longitudinal design (Aim 1) and at the event-level using daily diary data (Aim 2). Aim 3 utilized ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine the processes (via intentions and willingness) that influence decisions to drink, use protective behaviors, or engage in contextual risk on a given day. Methods: A random sample of 235 first-year female drinkers completed web-based assessments at the beginning (baseline) and end (3-month follow-up) of their first semester of college (Aim 1). Two-thirds of participants were randomized to an EMA protocol, which included 3-5 short cell phone-based surveys each day for 14 days (Aims 2 & 3). Hypotheses were tested using path analysis (Aims 1 and 2) and hierarchical linear modeling (Aim 3). Results: At the global level, typical weekend drinking was positively associated with alcohol-related victimization, but not consequences. This association weakened as individuals used more protective behaviors and more frequently drank in certain contexts (e.g., at parties; with friends). At the event-level, both estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) and variability in eBAC (averaged across individual drinking occasions) were associated with increased AViC. Drinking protective behavior use moderated these effects; however, social protective behavior use did not. Contextual factors also moderated the associations between event-level eBAC and AViC, such that for individuals who frequently engaged in sexual behavior during/after drinking, as their drinking and variability in drinking increased, so did their risk for AViC. Aim 3 analyses revealed individuals achieved higher eBACs, used more protective behaviors and engaged in greater contextual risk when they had greater intentions and were more willing to do so (across drinking occasions). The effects of willingness and intentions on drinking, protective behavior use, and contextual risk exposure varied within and across days. For example, women engaged in a wider variety of drinking contexts on days when their context intentions were higher than their own mean, and women used more social protective behaviors on days when their willingness to do so increased throughout the day. Implications: The current study is among the first to simultaneously examine drinking, protective behavior use, and context as predictors of AViC at multiple levels (e.g., global vs. daily). Findings suggest harm-reduction alcohol interventions remain a useful tool in reducing AViC, but that their efficacy might be enhanced by also accounting for daily variability in drinking and by promoting the use of both drinking and social protective behaviors. Momentary examination of decision-making processes revealed that intentions and willingness might influence behavior at different levels, challenging behavioral theories that assume global associations.

This book provides a chronology of the 68th Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, which is focused on contemporary research knowledge about sexual violence and alcohol use. This book is more specific to dating and intimate partner sexual violence in young adult populations. The target audience is researchers, prevention agencies and policymakers within academia and military settings. Alcohol use has long been recognized as a major contributor to sexual assault, with an estimated 50% of sexual assaults in the U.S. involving drinking by the victim, perpetrator, or both. Beyond the usual harmful effects, alcohol-involved assaults are associated with unique sequelae for female victims, including increased self-blame, stigma, and greater alcohol use to cope. Moreover, heavier drinking on the part of the perpetrator is associated with more serious incidents of assault (e.g., involving physical force) that result in more severe outcomes for victims. The purpose of this Symposium on Motivation is to bring together a group of experts in the areas of alcohol and sexual aggression to articulate the causes, consequences, and mechanisms of alcohol-involved sexual assault. Speakers will talk about classic and contemporary research and theories on these issues using cutting-edge approaches (e.g., virtual reality, neuroscience, laboratory-based alcohol administration) from a variety of perspectives (perpetrators, victims, bystanders).