In humans, the electrophysiological measure of P3 amplitude has been associated with specific dimensions of disinhibited personality (impulsivity, social deviance, harm avoidance, and excitement seeking), and disinhibition appears to mediate the association between P3 and alcohol problems. Justus, Finn, & Steinmetz (2001) found that social deviance, impulsivity, and alcohol problems in young adults were associated with lower P3 amplitude, but only in male subjects. Social deviance mediated this association between P3 and alcohol problems, as well as the association between impulsivity and alcohol problems. Thus, smaller P3s are strongly associated with antisocial, defiant, and impulsive traits, which might, in turn, increase the risk for continued alcohol problems.
