Alcohol's effect on individuals stems from a variety of cognitive, biological, and social factors. The propensity to binge drink may arise from a combination of these factors, which could contribute to the underlying “cause” of binge drinking. Studies of these factors typically employ drinking definitions that are specialized for the particular variable or measure used, so that result comparisons need to be made from this perspective. However, these variables taken in the context of their roles as mediators and moderators of alcohol consumption are potentially important indices of future binge drinking and are reviewed here to provide appropriate background for their effects.
