Racial Differences in the Development of Impulsivity and Sensation Seeking from Childhood into Adolescence and Their Relation to Alcohol Use

Abstract

Background Pronounced differences in drinking behavior exist between African Americans and European Americans. Disinhibited personality characteristics are widely studied risk factors for alcohol use outcomes. Longitudinal studies of children have not examined racial differences in these characteristics, in their rates of change, or whether these changes differentially relate to adolescent alcohol use. Methods Latent growth curve modeling was performed on seven annual waves of data on 447 African American and European American 8- and 10-year-old children followed into adolescence as part of the Tween to Teen Project. Both mother and child data were examined. Results European Americans had higher initial levels of (β = 0.22, p < .001) and greater growth in sensation seeking (β = 0.16, p < .05) compared to African Americans. However, African American children had higher initial levels of impulsivity compared to European American children (βs = −0.27 and −0.16, p < .01). Higher initial levels of sensation seeking (β = 0.18, p < .01) and greater growth in both sensation seeking (β = 0.24, p < .01) and impulsivity (βs = 0.30 to 0.34, p < .01) related to subsequent frequency of alcohol use. The association between race and alcohol use was partially mediated by initial levels of sensation seeking (β = 0.04, p < .05; 95% CI: 0.004 – 0.078). Additionally, sharper increases in sensation seeking predicted greater levels of subsequent alcohol use for European Americans (B = 0.33, p < .001) but not for African Americans (B = −0.15, ns). Conclusions This study revealed different developmental courses and important racial differences for sensation seeking and impulsivity. Findings highlight the possibility that sensation seeking at least partly drives early alcohol use for European American but not for African American adolescents.

Racial/ethnic variation in mental health correlates of substance use among college students

“…The only mental health indicator that had unequal mean scores was sensation seeking; students identifying as White reported the greatest levels of sensation seeking. These findings are also in alignment with previous research (e.g., Arnett, 1996;Jaffe & Archer, 1987;Pedersen, Molina, Belendiuk, & Donovan, 2012).…”

Age and impulsive behavior in drug addiction: A review of past research and future directions

“…Adolescence is strongly associated with a heightened instability in these traits, potentially influenced by neurodevelopmental changes in this developmental stage (Crone & Dahl, 2012; Ernst & Fudge, 2009; Steinberg, 2008; Steinberg et al, 2008). Sensation seeking increases in early adolescence, with a peak in middle adolescence, and decreases closer to young adulthood (Littlefield et al, 2016; Romer & Hennessy, 2007; Steinberg et al, 2008); however, some studies have found an increase in sensation seeking moving toward young adulthood (Collado et al, 2014; Harden & Tucker-Drob, 2011; Pedersen et al, 2012). Negative urgency and positive urgency increase during early adolescence (i.e., 11–13 years) and decline across later adolescence (Littlefield et al, 2016).…”

Sensation Seeking Predicting Growth in Adolescent Problem Behaviors

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