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Impulsive Errors on a Go‐NoGo Reaction Time Task: Disinhibitory Traits in Relation to a Family History of Alcoholism
Author(s) -
Saunders Buddy,
Farag Noha,
Vincent Andrea S.,
Collins Frank L.,
Sorocco Kristen H.,
Lovallo William R.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2008.00648.x
Subject(s) - impulsivity , psychology , go/no go , stop signal , behavioral inhibition , family history , audiology , temperament , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medicine , personality , social psychology , anxiety , computer science , machine learning , electrical engineering , engineering , latency (audio)
Background: Behavioral undercontrol may contribute to risk for alcoholism in vulnerable persons. We predicted that healthy young adults with a family history of alcoholism (FH+) who also displayed externalizing behavior characteristics (low scores on the California Psychological Inventory Sociability Scale; CPI‐So) would exhibit more impulsive responding (false alarms) on a Go‐NoGo reaction time task. Methods: Subjects were 230 healthy volunteers, 18 to 30 years of age with no history of alcohol or drug dependence. The task included 100 trials: 60 of “Go,” calling for a button press, and 40 of “NoGo,” or “XX,” calling for inhibiting a response. Data analysis involved a signal detection analysis of performance with subsequent group comparisons for rates of impulsive responding indicated by False Alarms (responses to NoGo signals). Results: CPI‐So scores were lower in FH+ than in FH– ( p < .1) indicating a greater clustering of disinhibitory tendencies in these persons. FH, CPI‐So scores, and Gender together predicted false alarm rates, accounting for 4.9% of the variance, F = 3.89, p = 0.009. False alarms were associated with low CPI‐So scores, F = 5.15, p = 0.024, and being male, F = 6.27, p = 0.013, but not with FH once these variables were accounted for. Conclusions: A disinhibited temperament may underlie a behavioral impulsivity that contributes to elevated risk for future alcoholism, especially among FH+ males.