Coordinating Author Information: Alicia N. Torres, MS | Palo Alto University
Session Abstract: Alcohol use is a common problem and is thus a common target of treatment. One common way of treating hazardous levels of disordered alcohol use is by increasing mindfulness, thus making the person more aware of why they drink. However, part of what leads to disordered alcohol use is personality, which tends to be stable and less amenable to change. Within the Big Five model of personality, low levels of two traits are most closely linked to alcohol use: Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. However, there is little research on how mindfulness and personality traits might increment each other in predicting alcohol use. In this study, we examine the relative influence of mindfulness and personality traits on alcohol use in a sample recruited online (N = 404) using a Bayesian approach to multiple regression. Results indicate that Agreeableness and Conscientiousness were negatively, and Extraversion and Openness were positively associated with alcohol use but that mindfulness was unrelated. These results underscore the influence of personality on alcohol use, regardless of mindfulness, and raise a question about whether personality may be a more appropriate target than mindfulness in interventions on alcohol use.
Authors:
Alicia N. Torres, MS | Palo Alto University
Alana R. Gallagher, MS | Palo Alto University
Matthew M. Yalch, PhD | Palo Alto University