The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

STASH, Vol. 9(4) - Did I or didn’t I? The effect of placebo versus marijuana on impulsivity and risk taking

Marijuana use is associated with risky behaviors, such as risky sexual behavior; and some dangerous outcomes, such as motor vehicle accidents (Drummer et al., 2004; Fernandez et al., 2004). However, it is not clear how individuals’ expectations about the experiential effects of marijuana use might play a role in elevated risk taking behavior; expectations in general exert powerful effects on behavior (e.g., Testa et al., 2006). This week’s STASH reviews a study that investigates the separate effects of true marijuana taking and marijuana expectancy on risk behavior and impulsivity (Metrik et al., 2012). Methods Researchers recruited 136 marijuana smokers through... Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 9(3): Sad now? How about now? Influences of mood and motives on teens’ cigarette use

Previous studies have established pathways between depressive symptoms and regular cigarette use in adolescence (Brown, Lewinsohn, Seely & Wagner, 1996). This week’s ASHES reviews an investigation of the influence of negative mood, mood variability, and smoking motives on teenagers’ smoking behavior. The researchers tracked teens’ smoking behavior at baseline and 15 months later to see which mood and motivational factors predicted increases in cigarette use (Weinstein & Mermelstein, 2013). Methods The researchers tracked 461 teens (55% female, M = 15.67 years old at baseline) from sixteen Chicago-area high schools who had either experimented with smoking in the past or who... Read more →

The DRAM, Vol. 9(3) – Shots and Ladders: A look at drinking games and alcohol consumption

Drinking games are very prevalent among college students, and participation in drinking games predicts heavy drinking (Bosari, 2004). However, not all drinking games are created equal. There is a lack of research comparing which drinking games are preferred by various populations and how these different types of drinking games relate to alcohol consumption. This week’s DRAM reviews a study that examines different categories of drinking games and their association with drinking behavior in college students (LaBrie, Ehret, & Hummer, 2013). Methods Researchers recruited students from two west-coast universities via a Web-based screening survey. The current analysis included only participants who... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 18(3) – Three roads to pain: Testing the pathways model for problem gambling

During 2002, Blaszczynski and Nower proposed that there are three pathways to problem and pathological gambling. In their first pathway, problem gambling develops as a matter of behavioral conditioning, not as a matter of psychopathology. In their second pathway, factors such as mood disorders, poor coping skills, and traumatic life events contribute to the production of an “emotionally vulnerable gambler” who gambles to relieve pain (Blaszczynski & Nower, 2002). In their third pathway, emotional vulnerability combines with impulsivity and attention and personality disorders to create many problems, including gambling. Today’s WAGER reports on research (Nower, Martins, Lin, & Blanco, 2012)... Read more →