Risk for substance use (SU) including alcohol and other drug use, builds cumulatively over the course of adolescence culminating at a point of peak risk in late adolescence. Understanding the emergence of SU and related problems in late adolescence requires a characterization of the early adolescent risk context. SU information processing is a proximal cause of SU that mediates a broad range of more distal risk and protective factors. Current cognitive models of addiction distinguish controlled (slow deliberative and reflective) and automatic (fast and impulsive) processing and appraisal of SU information and posit that these processes jointly influence SU. Further, the role of information processing in SU is moderated by general capacity for self- regulation (i.e., executive functioning), which confers added risk. The literature supports these models for both adolescents and adults, yet very little of this research has taken a developmental perspective. Consequently, how automatic and controlled SU information processing develops, and whether these processes operate differently with age and stage of use is poorly understood. This is a critical gap in the literatur, as well- validated developmentally informed etiological models are crucial for the advancement of effective preventive interventions. Social context (e.g. peers, parents) and personality are strong determinants of SU, in part because of the role they play in shaping SU information processing. Social context changes dramatically from early to late adolescence, yet there has been little consideration of how these shifts may affect the development of SU information processing across stages of adolescence and stages of use. Indeed, no long- term longitudinal studies have followed youth from SU initiation, escalation, and emergence of problems to address these issues. Furthermore, neuroadaptations to SU change the motivational significance of SU, and likely impact reciprocal associations between SU and SU information processing, yet no research has examined such bidirectionality across adolescence. The proposed project addresses these gaps. This is a continuation of a study of alcohol and drug use in a community sample first assessed at ages 10-13 years. The proposed project will follow the sample into late adolescence (mean ages 18, 19, and 20 years) for 3 additional multi-method assessments that will include laboratory tasks and questionnaires. A critical feature of our longitudinal design is the ability to model multiple etiological influences, and pathways (mediation, moderation, reciprocal associations) and to compare directly how each may shift across age and stage of use (initiation, heavy use, problem use). The project will examine: 1) The changing role of automatic and controlled SU information processing; 2) Whether these processes mediate the influence of social context (parental SU- specific socialization, peer norms) and personality (reinforcement sensitivity) on SU; 3) Reciprocal associations between SU information processing and SU.

Public Health Relevance

Adolescence is a critical period for onset and escalation of substance use (SU), and the high personal and societal costs of adolescent SU make it a critical public health problem. Validated and developmentally informed etiological theories are crucial for advancing effective preventive interventions. This project will inform such etiological models, and provide much needed knowledge for the development of interventions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA020171-08
Application #
9043002
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
Etz, Kathleen
Project Start
2005-07-01
Project End
2019-03-31
Budget Start
2016-04-01
Budget End
2017-03-31
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
2016
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
State University of New York at Buffalo
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
038633251
City
Amherst
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14228
Colder, Craig R; Shyhalla, Kathleen; Frndak, Seth E (2018) Early alcohol use with parental permission: Psychosocial characteristics and drinking in late adolescence. Addict Behav 76:82-87
Meisel, Samuel N; Read, Jennifer P; Mullin, Sarah et al. (2018) Changes in implicit alcohol attitudes across adolescence, and associations with emerging alcohol use: Testing the reciprocal determinism hypothesis. Psychol Addict Behav 32:738-748
Scalco, Matthew D; Colder, Craig R (2017) Trajectories of marijuana use from late childhood to late adolescence: Can Temperament × Experience interactions discriminate different trajectories of marijuana use? Dev Psychopathol 29:775-790
Colder, Craig R; Read, Jennifer P; Wieczorek, William F et al. (2017) Cognitive appraisals of alcohol use in early adolescence: Psychosocial predictors and reciprocal associations with alcohol use. J Early Adolesc 37:525-558
Scalco, Matthew D; Meisel, Samuel N; Colder, Craig R (2016) Misperception and accurate perception of close friend substance use in early adolescence: Developmental and intervention implications. Psychol Addict Behav 30:300-11
O'Connor, Roisin M; Colder, Craig R (2015) The Prospective Joint Effects of Self-Regulation and Impulsive Processes on Early Adolescence Alcohol Use. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 76:884-94
Scalco, Matthew D; Trucco, Elisa M; Coffman, Donna L et al. (2015) Selection and Socialization Effects in Early Adolescent Alcohol Use: A Propensity Score Analysis. J Abnorm Child Psychol 43:1131-43
Colder, Craig R; O'Connor, Roisin M; Read, Jennifer P et al. (2014) Growth trajectories of alcohol information processing and associations with escalation of drinking in early adolescence. Psychol Addict Behav 28:659-70
Scalco, Matthew D; Colder, Craig R; Hawk, Larry W et al. (2014) Internalizing and externalizing problem behavior and early adolescent substance use: a test of a latent variable interaction and conditional indirect effects. Psychol Addict Behav 28:828-40
Zehe, Jennifer M; Colder, Craig R (2014) A latent growth curve analysis of alcohol-use specific parenting and adolescent alcohol use. Addict Behav 39:1701-5

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