Researcher(s)
- Chandler Morrell, Psychology, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Philip Gable, Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) is characterized by several behavioral and neurological markers, including heightened alcohol use and impulsivity. Individuals with more severe alcohol use and impulsivity show altered brain activity and reaction times on tasks like the Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task. Interestingly, similar behavioral traits are also seen in college-aged young adults, yet few studies have directly compared this group with recovering addicts using behavioral or neurological data. This study aims to examine potential similarities in brain and behavioral responses between these populations, focusing on trait-level characteristics. Participants will complete a modified version of the MID task, which includes a Navon letter reaction time component, while EEG data is recorded.
The first analysis compares reaction times between recovering addicts and college-aged young adults. This serves as a replication of prior findings with the recovering addict sample. It is hypothesized that college-aged participants will not replicate these results due to demographic and clinical differences. The second analysis focuses on the college-aged group alone. Participants will be divided into high and low alcohol use/impulsivity groups. A moderation analysis will test for reaction time differences between these groups, with the hypothesis being that higher levels of alcohol use and impulsivity will be associated with altered response patterns.
This study aims to clarify the behavioral and neurological overlap between young adults and recovering addicts, potentially informing early risk markers for SUD development in college populations.