Statistically derived patterns of behavioral economic risk among heavy-drinking college students: A latent profile analysis

Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2021 Apr;29(2):191-202. doi: 10.1037/pha0000420. Epub 2020 Jul 30.

Abstract

High levels of 3 behavioral economic indices (delay discounting, alcohol demand, and proportionate substance-related reinforcement) are consistently associated with greater alcohol misuse and alcohol-related problems. However, it is unclear whether and how these variables jointly increase the risk for alcohol-related outcomes among college students who engage in heavy episodic drinking (HED; 4/5+ drinks for women/men, respectively). The current study used a person-centered approach to identify similar patterns of behavioral economic domains among heavy-drinking college students and investigate the relationship between these empirically derived classes and alcohol-related outcomes. A sample of 393 college students (60.8% female, 78.9% White/Caucasian) reporting at least 2 heavy drinking episodes in the previous month completed measures of alcohol use and problems, demographics, delay discounting, and alcohol reward value (alcohol demand and proportionate substance-related reinforcement). Latent profile analyses revealed that a 3-class solution provided the best fit to the data: a low reward value, high discounting (LRHD) class (n = 53), a moderate reward value, low discounting (MRLD) class (n = 214), and a high reward value, high discounting (HRHD) class (n = 126). Members of the HRHD class reported significantly greater alcohol consumption, past-month HED episodes, alcohol-related problems, and symptoms of alcohol use disorder than those in the MRLD and LRHD classes. The results suggest that there are 3 constellations of behavioral economic processes and that, consistent with the reinforcer pathology model, students who overvalue alcohol-related reward and discount the future more steeply are at the greatest risk for alcohol misuse and alcohol-related problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Alcohol Drinking / epidemiology*
  • Alcohol Drinking in College*
  • Alcohol-Related Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Alcoholism / epidemiology
  • Economics, Behavioral*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Reinforcement, Psychology
  • Reward
  • Students / statistics & numerical data
  • Universities
  • Young Adult