Representing an important methodological advancement, Simons and colleagues (2005) investigated the relationship between affective states and alcohol consumption using real-time assessment. College students (n = 56) first completed a personality measures of impulsivity (EIQ) and then provided experience sampling data for two-weeks including measures of negative and positive affective states, alcohol use and related problems. Although higher levels of both positive and negative affect throughout the day were associated with higher levels of alcohol use that evening, only negative affect was associated with alcohol-related problems (controlling for levels of use). Impulsivity is associated with higher levels of alcohol use as well as problems, and further, impulsivity moderated the relationship between negative affect and problems as well as between alcohol use and problems, such that individuals with higher levels of impulsivity showed higher rates of alcohol-related problems in both scenarios (Simons et al., 2005).
