OBJECTIVE: Having upcoming, proximal responsibilities is associated with less use of (and demand for) alcohol. However, research has yet to underscore how and for whom proximal responsibilities predict intended and actual drinking behavior in real time when decision making occurs in daily life. This study tested hypotheses that (a) proximal responsibilities endorsed at the beginning of a drinking episode predict lower intoxication intentions, lower drinking quantity, and more protective behavioral strategy use and (b) these relations are dampened for individuals who lack premeditation (a facet of impulsivity). METHOD: = 203) reporting past-month high-intensity drinking (8+ drinks in a sitting for females, 10+ for males) completed 28 days of morning/evening reports, event-contingent "drink start" reports, and real-time drink reports every 45 min thereafter while drinking. RESULTS: Having proximal responsibilities was associated with lower intoxication intentions and fewer drinks consumed but was not associated with protective strategies used during naturalistic drinking episodes. The impact of proximal responsibilities on lower intoxication intentions was weakened for individuals higher (vs. lower) in lack of premeditation. However, proximal responsibilities were associated with more protective strategy use for individuals higher (vs. lower) in lack of premeditation. Sensitivity analyses indicated that (a) the impact of responsibilities on fewer drinks consumed and lower intoxication intentions was strongest when responsibilities were "tomorrow morning" versus "after tomorrow" and (b) interactions predicting intended intoxication (but not protective strategies) were robust across modeling specifications and covariates added. CONCLUSIONS: Proximal responsibilities reduced one's intended (and actual) drinking, but reductions were smaller for individuals lacking premeditation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Waddell et al. (Mon,) studied this question.