Alcohol-related image priming and aggression in adolescents aged 11–14

Keywords

Alcohol, Aggression, Adolescents, Priming

Abstract

In adults, alcohol-related stimuli prime aggressive responding without ingestion or belief of ingestion. This represents either experiential or socially-and culturally-mediated learning. Using a laboratory-based competitive aggression paradigm, we replicated adult findings in 103 11–14 year old adolescents below the legal UK drinking age. Using a two-independent group design, priming with alcohol-related imagery led participants to deliver louder noise punishments in a competition task than priming with beverage-related images. This effect was stronger in participants scoring low on an internalization measure. Priming effects in relatively alcohol-naïve participants could constitute evidence of socio-cultural transmission of scripts linking alcohol use and aggression. The enhanced effect in lower internalization scorers suggests that alcohol priming might undermine behavioral inhibition processes in otherwise stable adolescents.

Original Publication Citation

Brown, S L., Coyne, S. M., *Barlow, A., & Qualter, P. (2010). Alcohol-related image priming and aggression in adolescents aged 11-14. Addictive Behaviors, 35, 791-794.

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2010-8

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/5223

Publisher

Addictive Behavior

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Family Life

University Standing at Time of Publication

Full Professor

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