Research

Research in the HARP lab focuses on (1) understanding how alcohol-related consequences develop and persist among young adults (i.e., ages 18 to 25) and (2) identifying populations that are at heightened alcohol-related risk, with the goal of contributing to prevention and intervention efforts.  

Impulsivity as a construct and its relationship with alcohol use

There is a strong literature indicating that impulsivity is positively associated with alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences, but impulsivity is multifaceted, and distinct facets of impulsivity may confer risk or greater risk towards alcohol use. Our research has indicated that impulsivity’s relationship with alcohol use is complex, and behaviors (i.e., response inhibition, craving) linked to problematic alcohol use can be observed in individuals who drink alcohol but may not meet criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD) and could benefit from early prevention. More recently, we have found that certain impulsivity facets cluster together and are associated with increased alcohol consequences and polysubstance use. Finally, we have sought to understand how impulsivity fluctuates within individuals at the daily- and momentary-level and associates with same-day alcohol use outcomes. The consequences of impulsivity, particularly in a drinking context, may have a lasting impact on an individual’s health and well-being. 

Social and cognitive mechanisms of substance use

Our research has contributed to our understanding socio-cognitive variables of high-risk substance use (alcohol, cannabis, Molly/MDMA) among young adults. This research has addressed the role of alcohol-related cognitions, such as alcohol expectancies (i.e., beliefs about the effects of alcohol), drinking motives (i.e., reasons for drinking), and social norms (i.e., perceived levels of consumption by others and peer approval).

Mechanisms of alcohol use for bisexual+ womenWomen who self-identify as bisexual+, as compared to lesbian and heterosexual, are more likely to be diagnosed with AUD. The disparity by sexual identity on alcohol-related risk has been attributed to “binegativity”, a term used to describe the unique discrimination that bisexual women experience from both heterosexual and LGBTQIA+ communities. Our research in this area has sought to understand the binegativity-alcohol use link, protective factors (e.g., identity affirmation; community connectedness) that may buffer the association between binegativity and alcohol use, and other mechanisms, such as social norms, impulsivity, and alcohol expectancies that may contribute to alcohol use among bisexual+ women.