Psychology of Alcohol Essay

The word â€Å"impulsivity† means the inability for one to control his or her actions (the loss of choice). The impulsion to consume alcohol spans across all age groups and all sexes. This is caused by both physical and psychological conditions ranging from peer pressure to depression. It has since become a very serious problem contributing to a large number of deaths within the society. Psychology of Alcohol   Theory Experimental Setup and Procedures Result and Discussions References Appendix Psychology of Alcohol Use 4 Introduction This report is prepared to prove the psychological relationship between impulsivity and alcohol use. Impulsivity is a type of behaviour where a person acts on reflex rather than on controlled thought . It is usually manifested as an unconscious action and usually the person is not aware that he/she is doing anything. Alcohol use is the act of consuming alcohol regardless of the amount taken or applied. When there is a high impulsivity level for alcohol in an individual it leads to a condition called alcoholism. Theory The relationship between impulsivity and alcohol use is correlational and is caused by numerous factors. Psychology of Alcohol Use 5 Physical Factors Gender Men drink more and have more alcohol consumption problem than women. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2005) In 2000, the American Psychological Association (APA) did a representative survey of 42,862 adults to prove that men have a higher alcohol dependency than women. Biological factors Genetics A meta-analysis of 38 studies found that women are more likely than men to report health problems when they have a history of out-of-control drinking, alcoholism, or alcohol abuse (Fillmore et al. , 1997). Psychological Factors Peer Pressure In a national survey of 20,000 teenagers, 80% of them claimed they started drinking due to pressure from friends. Psychology of Alcohol Use 6 Results American Psychological Association [APA], 2000) criteria to diagnose alcohol dependence, found a lifetime prevalence for alcohol dependence of 18. 6% among men and 8. 4% among women (Grant, 1997). There is a clear relationship between the people’s impulsion and the use of alcohol. It has been noted that there is a correlational relationship between a person’s impulsivity towards alcohol and the amount of alcohol consumed (the higher one’s impulsivity rate the more alcohol is consumed). It has also been noticed that one’s compulsion to consume alcohol is dependent on various factors one of which is gender. This is because men drink more and have more alcohol- related problems than women (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2005) Conclusion There is a clear relationship between impulsivity and alcohol use. Judging from the experiments this relationship is caused by various factors. Psychology of Alcohol Use 7 References Grant, (1997). Possible Contributors to the Gender Differences in Alcohol Use and Problems