Components of Disinhibition (Vs. Constraint) Differentially Predict Aggression and Alcohol Use

Abstract

Disinhibition (vs. Constraint; DvC), which has been shown to represent a central aspect of the externalizing domain, consists of several correlated but distinguishable underlying traits, which may have different patterns of association with various externalizing indicators. In a sample of 18– to 19–year old undergraduate students (N = 430; 71.1% female), we examined the specificity and generality of the association between lower order components of DvC and both aggression and alcohol use, externalizing–related behavioural constructs that have well–established links to DvC. All three components of DvC—including Disagreeableness, low Self–Control and low Accomplishment—were associated independently with Reactive Aggression, but only Disagreeableness was correlated significantly with Proactive Aggression. Also, only low Self–Control was associated with alcohol use. Thus, aggression was broadly associated with components of DvC—although much more strongly with the Disagreeableness domain—whereas alcohol use was specifically correlated with low Self–Control. These results suggest that lower order components of DvC have distinct patterns of associations with externalizing–related outcomes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.