Biomedical subjects

Peter R Giancola

Publications and source records attributed to Peter R Giancola.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

The underlying role of aggressivity in the relation between executive functioning and alcohol consumption.

The research literature on the relation between cognitive functioning and alcohol consumption is inconsistent and difficult to interpret. The purpose of this study was to test a causal model that might help reconcile some of these conflicts. The model specifies that aggressivity is an important intermediary mechanism underlying the relation between executive functioning (EF) and alcohol consumption. Participants were 310 (152 men and 158 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age tested in a laboratory setting. EF was measured with a battery of neuropsychological tests. Aggressivity and alcohol consumption (as well as cigarette and drug use frequency) were measured with self-report and interview formats. Aggressivity played a mechanistic role in the relation between EF and alcohol/drug use for men but not for women. Women evinced some unexpected positive relations between EF and alcohol use. This study serves as a first step in trying to reconcile previous inconsistent findings regarding the relation between cognitive functioning and alcohol use by demonstrating that a better understanding of this relation involves considering aggressivity as an intermediary variable.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

The influence of difficult temperament on alcohol-related aggression: better accounted for by executive functioning?

The purpose of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that executive functioning (EF) would mediate the relation between difficult temperament (DT) and intoxicated aggression. Participants were 165 social drinking men and women between the ages of 21-35years old. DT was measured using the Dimension of Temperament Scale - Revised and EF was measured using seven well-established neuropsychological tests. Following consumption of an alcoholic beverage, participants were tested on a laboratory aggression measure in which electric shocks were received from and administered to a fictitious opponent under the guise of a competitive reaction time task. Aggression was operationalized as shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. Results indicated that EF successfully mediated the relation between DT and intoxicated aggression for men but not for women. These findings are discussed with regard to how they influence current models of aggressive behavior as well as their implications for future violence prevention efforts.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Influence of subjective intoxication, breath alcohol concentration, and expectancies on the alcohol-aggression relation.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of subjective intoxication, alcohol-aggression expectancies, and breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) on intoxicated aggression in men and women while controlling for dispositional aggressivity. METHODS: Subjects were 328 (163 men and 165 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or an active placebo beverage, subjects were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Levels of subjective intoxication and BrAC were measured immediately before subjects began the aggression task. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. RESULTS: Subjective intoxication ratings were not related to aggressive behavior for either men or women. Alcohol-aggression expectancies were related to aggression for men, but this effect was rendered nonsignificant when controlling for dispositional aggressivity, which in turn, was significantly related to the dependent variables for both men and women. Finally, BrAC was also related to aggression above and beyond the effects of dispositional aggressivity, yet only for men. CONCLUSIONS: Taken as a whole, this study suggests that intoxicated aggression is primarily the result of alcohol's pharmacological properties in conjunction with an aggressive disposition.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

The effect of past-year heavy drinking on alcohol-related aggression.

OBJECTIVE: The primary goal of this study was to determine the moderating effect of a history of heavy episodic drinking on the alcohol-aggression relation in men and women. METHOD: Participants were 310 (152 men and 158 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. Drinking history was operationalized as participants' average number of alcoholic drinks consumed per drinking occasion during the past year. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. RESULTS: Alcohol increased aggression only among highly provoked men who reported a history of heavy episodic drinking. A history of high-frequency drinking did not moderate the alcohol-aggression relation. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of considering a history of heavy episodic drinking in the prediction of intoxicated aggression.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Perceptions of one's attacker's intentions following an aggressive interaction involving alcohol.

The authors investigated and assessed the perceptions of one's attacker's intentions following an aggressive interaction involving alcohol. Participants were 328 (163 men and 165 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. After participants had consumed a beverage containing either alcohol or a placebo, the authors tested them on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP; S. Taylor, 1967) in which participants received mild electric shocks from, and administered shocks to, a fictitious opponent (the attacker) under the guise of a competitive task. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent. The authors queried participants about their perceptions of their opponents' intentions toward them on the task. Overall, participants who were least aggressive on the TAP perceived their opponent to have the most aggressive intentions and those who were the most aggressive perceived their opponent to have the least aggressive intentions. Alcohol only seemed to play a role for women. It appeared to decrease aggressive perceptions for the least aggressive women and to increase such perceptions for the most aggressive women. The authors discuss results according to L. Huesmann's (1988) cognitive script model of aggression.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Differential effects of past-year stimulant and sedative drug use on alcohol-related aggression.

The goals of this study were to determine the effects of past-year stimulant and sedative drug use on alcohol-related aggression and to examine whether the relation between stimulant drug use and intoxicated aggression is better accounted for by behavioral disinhibition. Participants were 330 healthy social drinkers (164 men and 166 women) between 21 and 35 years of age. Past-year stimulant and sedative use and behavioral disinhibition were assessed via self-report questionnaires. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm [Taylor, S. (1967). Aggressive behavior and physiological arousal as a function of provocation and the tendency to inhibit aggression. Journal of Personality, 35, 297-310] in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. Results indicated that alcohol significantly strengthened the relation between stimulant drug use and aggression, but only among men. Behavioral disinhibition did not account for this effect. Regardless of past-year drug use, alcohol did not facilitate aggression among women. The present findings suggest that stimulant drug use may be a risk factor for intoxicated aggression for men. However, the underlying mechanisms accounting for this effect remain unclear.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

The relation between social problems and substance use in adolescent boys: an investigation of potential moderators.

This study investigated the relation between social problems and adolescent male substance use in the context of other potential moderating variables. Two hundred eighty adolescent boys completed measures of social problems, cognitive distortions, constructive thinking, affiliation with delinquent peers, and multiple aspects of substance use. Results revealed that social problems were not directly related to most substance use variables. Cognitive distortions moderated the relation between social problems and substance use in social situations, such that the relation was significant only at high levels of cognitive distortions. Constructive thinking and affiliation with delinquent peers were both related to substance use, but neither served a moderating function. It is concluded that the widely accepted relation between social difficulties and adolescent male substance use may be better understood in the context of cognitive variables.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

A further examination of gender differences in alcohol-related aggression.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this investigation was to replicate and extend findings from a previous study on the acute effects of alcohol on aggressive behavior in men and women in a laboratory setting. METHOD: Subjects were 234 (111 men and 123 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. They were randomly assigned to either an alcohol or a placebo group. Aggression was measured using a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm, in which electric shocks are received from and administered to a fictitious opponent during a supposed competitive interpersonal task. Aggression was operationalized as the intensity and duration of shocks that subjects administered to their "opponent." RESULTS: Provocation was a stronger elicitor of aggression than either gender or alcohol. Overall, alcohol increased aggression for men but not for women. CONCLUSIONS: In conjunction with other laboratory investigations on alcohol-related aggression, this study suggests that alcohol increases aggression for men but not for women. This finding may be due to gender-related differences in liability thresholds for aggression as well as discrepancies in how men and women respond to different forms of provocation.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

"So I can't blame the booze?": Dispositional aggressivity negates the moderating effects of expectancies on alcohol-related aggression.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of alcohol expectancies on intoxicated aggression in men and women while controlling for dispositional aggressivity. METHOD: Subjects were 328 (163 men and 165 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. Alcohol expectancies were measured using items from a variety of validated self-report inventories. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, subjects were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm, in which mild electric shocks were received from and administered to a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. RESULTS: On their own, alcohol expectancies played a limited role in impacting aggressive behavior. Specifically, alcohol expectancies were significantly related to aggression for men who received the placebo beverage under low provocation and for men who received alcohol under high provocation. A significant main effect of alcohol expectancies was also detected. However, all of these effects were rendered nonsignificant when controlling for dispositional aggressivity. It is important to note that the main effect for beverage group remained significant after controlling for dispositional aggressivity. CONCLUSIONS: Taken as a whole, this pattern of findings suggests that intoxicated aggression is primarily the result of alcohol's pharmacological properties in conjunction with an aggressive personality.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Difficult temperament, acute alcohol intoxication, and aggressive behavior.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a difficult temperament on alcohol-related aggression in men and women. Subjects were 330 (164 men and 166 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. Temperament was measured using the dimensions of temperament survey-revised (DOTS-R). Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, subjects were tested on a modified version of the Taylor aggression paradigm in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. Of all the variables, provocation was the strongest elicitor of aggression. Overall, a difficult temperament was positively related to the aggression for all subjects. The finding of greatest importance was that alcohol only increased aggression for men with a difficult temperament. The results highlight the fact that alcohol consumption does not increase aggression in all persons and in all situations. An important goal for future research is to identify which individual difference and which contextual factors are most important in determining who will, and who will not, behave in an aggressive manner when intoxicated.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2004

Executive functioning and alcohol-related aggression.

The primary goal of this investigation was to determine whether executive functioning (EF) would moderate the alcohol-aggression relation. Participants were 310 (152 men and 158 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. EF as well as non-EF skills were measured with 13 validated neuropsychological tests. Following the consumption of either an alcoholic or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (S. Taylor, 1967), in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent. EF was negatively related to aggressive behavior for men, regardless of beverage group, even when controlling for non-EF skills. Furthermore, alcohol increased aggression only for men with lower EF scores. Finally, the mere belief that alcohol was consumed suppressed aggression for women but not for men.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

A further examination of the relation between trait anger and alcohol-related aggression: the role of anger control.

BACKGROUND: Trait anger has been identified as a risk factor for alcohol-related aggression. However, to develop a more accurate risk profile, it is necessary to examine the interactive relations between trait anger and other key personality variables. The present study examined the influence of anger control on alcohol-related aggression. METHODS: Participants were 164 social drinking men age 21-35 years old. Trait anger and anger control were assessed with the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (Spielberger, 1996). Following consumption of an alcoholic or placebo beverage, participants competed in an aggression paradigm in which electric shocks were received from and administered to a fictitious opponent during a competitive reaction time task. Aggression was operationalized as shock intensities administered to the opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. RESULTS: Analyses indicated that trait anger significantly predicted aggression, but only among men who were intoxicated and reported low levels of anger control. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that anger control may be a crucial risk factor in determining whether one's anger proneness will lead to intoxicated aggression following provocation.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

The moderating effects of dispositional empathy on alcohol-related aggression in men and women.

The author investigated the influence of dispositional empathy on alcohol-related aggression in men and women. Participants were 204 (111 men, 93 women) healthy social drinkers, 21-35 years old. Dispositional empathy was measured with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. Following the consumption of either an alcoholic or a placebo beverage, participants were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Alcohol increased aggression for persons (particularly men) with lower, as opposed to higher, levels of empathy. Men with lower empathy levels exhibited the most aggression followed by men with higher empathy levels. Women displayed the least aggression regardless of their empathy levels.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Diverse research on alcohol and aggression in humans: in memory of John A. Carpenter.

This article summarizes the proceedings of a symposium, chaired and co-organized by Helene Raskin White and co-organized by Peter R. Giancola, that was presented at the 2002 RSA Meeting in San Francisco. The goal of this symposium was to integrate findings from methodologically divergent studies on the topic of alcohol-related aggression in humans. The investigators focused on isolating mediators and moderators of the alcohol-aggression relationship. Peter R. Giancola presented laboratory data demonstrating how alcohol's acute effects on aggression are moderated by individual difference and contextual factors. Mitchell E. Berman presented laboratory data on alcohol's acute effects on self-induced aggression. Helene Raskin White reviewed prospective data on how alcohol affects the intergenerational transmission of family violence. Stephen Chermack reviewed data on the impact of a family history of alcoholism and a family history of violence on the development of childhood behavioral problems and adult problems with drugs, alcohol, and violence. Finally, Kenneth E. Leonard presented data on personal and contextual factors influencing alcohol-related barroom violence.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

The effects of affective, behavioral, and cognitive components of trait anger on the alcohol-aggression relation.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of affective, behavioral, and cognitive components of trait anger on alcohol-related aggression in men and women. METHODS: Subjects were 300 (150 men and 150 women) healthy social drinkers between 21 and 35 years of age. Trait anger was measured using the ABC Anger Inventory. Following the consumption of either an alcohol or a placebo beverage, subjects were tested on a modified version of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm in which mild electric shocks were received from, and administered to, a fictitious opponent during a competitive task. Aggressive behavior was operationalized as the shock intensities administered to the fictitious opponent under conditions of low and high provocation. RESULTS: Results indicated that alcohol increased aggression only for men with higher behavioral and cognitive anger scores and only for women with higher behavioral anger scores. Results also showed that when all anger components were taken into account, behavioral anger was the only factor that put one at risk for intoxicated aggression. CONCLUSIONS: Two recent studies demonstrated that the trait of "general" anger is a risk factor for intoxicated aggression (Giancola, 2002a; Parrott and Zeichner, 2002). The present investigation confirmed and extended these findings by examining the role of three different components of anger. The results highlight the fact that alcohol consumption does not increase aggression in all persons and in all situations. An important goal for future research is to identify which individual difference and contextual factors are most important in determining who will, and will not, behave in an aggressive manner when intoxicated.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Salivary cortisol, personality, and aggressive behavior in adolescent boys: a 5-year longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: The present investigation tested the hypothesis that low resting salivary cortisol concentration in preadolescent boys would be associated with aggressive behavior later in adolescence. Second, it tested whether personality traits would mediate this relation. METHOD: Resting salivary cortisol concentrations from 314 boys (10-12 years of age) were assayed. When the boys reached 15 to 17 years of age these concentrations were analyzed in the context of personality traits, measured with the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire, and aggressive behavior, measured with the Youth Self-Report inventory. RESULTS: Low cortisol in preadolescence was associated with low harm avoidance, low self-control, and more aggressive behavior 5 years later, during middle adolescence. Cortisol was not related to negative emotionality or any of its factors (including trait aggression). Low self-control was identified as the primary personality mediator of the relation between low cortisol and later aggressive behavior. CONCLUSIONS: In adolescent boys, low resting cortisol concentrations appear predictive of clinically important personality factors. Increased aggressive behavior in adolescents with low resting cortisol may be more strongly associated with lack of self-control than with a specifically "aggressive personality."

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Executive functioning, temperament, and drug use involvement in adolescent females with a substance use disorder.

BACKGROUND: This study determined whether temperament mediates the relation between executive functioning (EF) and drug use involvement and whether EF and temperament interact to account for unique variance in drug use involvement. METHOD: Participants were 340, 14-18-year-old, adolescent females with a substance use disorder and controls. EF was measured using a battery of neuropsychological tests, temperament was assessed using the Dimensions of Temperament Survey--Revised, and drug use involvement was measured with the Drug Use Screening Inventory. RESULTS: Temperament mediated the relation between EF and drug use involvement. Girls with a 'difficult' temperament exhibited significantly greater drug use involvement than girls with a 'good' temperament. Finally, low EF was significantly related to increased drug use involvement for girls with a good temperament, but not for girls with a difficult temperament. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that a difficult temperament is a more important risk factor for drug use than low EF. Given previous studies that have shown significant relations between EF and drug use, further research on this topic is warranted.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Negative affectivity and drug use in adolescent boys: moderating and mediating mechanisms.

This investigation examined variables that might qualify or detail the widely accepted relation between negative affectivity and drug use in adolescent boys. In Study 1, 311 boys (15-17 years old) completed inventories of negative affectivity, positive affectivity, constraint, delinquency, peer delinquency, and drug use. Negative affectivity was positively related to drug use, but only for individuals exhibiting high peer delinquency or low constraint. Study 2 examined mechanisms for this relation by following up 143 of the participants at ages 17-20 years. Delinquency and peer delinquency mediated the relation between negative affectivity and later drug use. These findings suggest that the relation between negative affectivity and drug use is best understood within the context of other drug use risk factors.

Adolescent↗