The Relationship between Self-Regulation, Sensation Seeking and Alcohol Consumption

Abstract

Most problematic drinking research concerns university students, however older populations are neglected. It was hypothesized that lower levels of self-regulation and higher levels of sensation seeking would predict greater alcohol consumption, students would consume more alcohol than non-students, and men would have lower levels of self-regulation, higher levels of sensation seeking and consume more alcohol. The sample comprised of 187 participants aged at least 18, who completed the Self-Regulation Questionnaire, Impulsivity and Sensation Seeking Questionnaire and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Correlational analysis showed that self-regulation and sensation seeking correlated with alcohol consumption, explaining 21.9% of the variance. Results from t-tests analyses showed that students consumed higher levels of alcohol but did not engage in higher levels of sensation seeking, also men were more impulsive but levels of self-regulation and alcohol consumption did not differ to those of women. These findings can aid development of tailored interventions and also inform future research in this area.