Problematic Alcohol Use and Decision-Making in High-Functioning Young Adults: roles of Fluid Intelligence, Risk Perception and Sex

BACKGROUND: Problematic alcohol use is common in young adults and may influence decision-making processes, yet evidence in non-clinical populations remains limited. This study examined whether problematic alcohol use predicts decision-making performance in high-functioning young adults, and whether this relationship is moderated by sex. METHODS: the AUDIT × Sex interaction. RESULTS: Higher AUDIT scores were associated with poorer IGT performance, whereas Gf positively predicted performance. RP-HS showed a modest negative association. Supplementary analyses indicated that this association was driven primarily by the AUDIT dependence symptoms domain. The relationship between problematic alcohol use and decision-making was moderated by sex, with the association observed primarily in men. CONCLUSION: These findings provide novel evidence that even non-clinical problematic alcohol use is associated with disadvantageous decision-making in high-functioning young adults, particularly in men.