Personality, age at drinking onset and drinking problems among students

Los objetivos fueron describir la ocurrencia de consumo de alcohol y de sus consecuencias negativas en estudiantes argentinos, y analizar diferencias en el comportamiento riesgoso, consecuencias negativas y sensibilidad a la recompensa y al castigo en función de la edad de inicio del consumo de alcohol, el consumo episódico elevado y el consumo hasta la ebriedad. Además, analizamos la relación entre el consumo de alcohol y la percepción del consumo en los pares. Participaron 106 estudiantes. Aquellos con consumo episódico elevado y consumo hasta la ebriedad presentaron más consecuencias negativas. Aquellos con consumo hasta la ebriedad evidenciaron una mayor sensibilidad a la recompensa y al castigo. Aquellos con inicio temprano mostraron mayor sensibilidad a la recompensa. Quienes perciben un mayor consumo en sus pares consumen más alcohol. Estos resultados reflejan la relación entre variables de personalidad y sociales y la propensión a exhibir consumo riesgoso de alcohol.The aims were to describe the occurrence of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems in Argentinean students, and analyze differences in risk behavior, alcohol-related problems and sensitivity to reward and punishment, as a function of heavy episodic drinking, drunkenness episodes and age at drinking onset. We analyzed the relationship between alcohol consumption and drinking social norms. The final sample was composed by 106 students. Subjects with drunkenness episodes had more negative consequences and greater sensitivity to reward and punishment, while those with heavy episodic drinking had more problems resulting from alcohol consumption. Moreover, students with early drinking onset showed greater sensitivity to reward. Students who perceived greater alcohol consumption among their peers consumed more alcohol themselves. These results highlight the association between personality and societal variables and the probability of exhibiting risky alcohol consumption