High school parties are a breeding ground for binge drinking and impulsive, out of control behaviors. One night full of mistakes can lead to a lifetime of bad choices and regrets. Getting your teen to avoid binge drinking and alcohol abuse in teens may seem like a difficult task – especially if your teen is already exhibiting impulsive behaviors.
Recently, researchers at Florida Atlantic University linked poor self control to binge drinking and alcohol abuse in teens.
What was this study about?
This study was conducted to determine if specific behavior traits, such as overall self control (AKA inhibition behavior), can put teens at a greater risk for binge drinking and alcohol abuse in teens. This study looked at three specific aspects of inhibition behavior: the ability to stop or prevent a response to something; the ability to stop a response in the middle of initiating the action; and the ability to overcome distracting stimuli in order to carry out another, more desired response. 
The overall goal of the research was to see if there was one specific aspect of inhibition that could predict whether or not teens would feel the desire to binge drink or engage in alcohol abuse in teens.
How was the study carried out?
The subjects of the study, ranging from the ages of 18-25, were given three tasks which involved motor responses to a variety of stimuli. Each task represented one of the three aspects of inhibition behavior mentioned earlier.
Each subject completed a detailed questionnaire which included information about their overall alcohol use, general information about the individual, and their history of alcohol abuse. Every couple of weeks, they took an online log of their alcohol consumption. When the study was almost over, they returned to the lab to perform the three tasks given at the beginning of the study again.
The conclusions
The researchers found that a teen’s ability to stop or prevent their response to stimuli was the most important factor in predicting whether or not the teen would engage in binge drinking. Teens who were not able to prevent themselves from responding to stimuli when tested (AKA who didn’t exhibit self control) during the study were more likely to have a higher number of drunk days.
The researchers believe that there is much more work that needs to be done in order to make definite conclusions about what causes teens to binge drink and what leads to alcohol abuse in teens.
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