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Abstract
To examine whether teenage binge drinking has an adverse effect upon everyday prospective
memory (PM).
The study utilised an existing-groups design, with alcohol group: binge drinkers vs
non-binge drinkers as the independent factor, and scores on the two PM memory subscales
of the Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ) and the score on
the Prospective Remembering Video Procedure (PRVP) as the dependent factors. Age,
anxiety and depression scores, last alcohol use (in hours) and how many years spent
drinking, were measured and analysed between the groups.
Each participant was tested in a laboratory setting.
An opportunity sample of 21 'binge drinkers' (those drinking above 6 units for females
and 8 units for males on 2 or more occasions per week) and 29 non-bingers were compared.
Self-reported everyday PM lapses were measured using the PRMQ. The PRVP was used as
an objective measure of PM. Alcohol and other drug use were assessed by the University
of East London Recreational Drug Use Questionnaire. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression
Scale gauged self-reported levels of anxiety and depression.
After controlling for age, anxiety and depression scores, last alcohol use and how
many years spent drinking, there were no significant between-group differences on
either the self-reported long-term or short-term PM lapses. However, binge drinkers
recalled significantly fewer location-action combinations on the PRVP than non-binge
drinkers.
The results of the present study suggest that binge drinking in the teenage years
leads to impairments in everyday PM.
Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.