# Ecological Momentary Assessment of Negative Urgency's Effects on Alcohol and Marijuana Misuse

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $9,896

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Negative urgency, a tendency to rash action in the face of negative emotions, is one of the strongest
personality predictors of alcohol and marijuana misuse (heavy use, intoxication, and the experience of
consequences). In the face of strong negative emotions, people high on negative urgency are theorized to
engage in impulsive behavior that is hyper-focused on relieving negative affect despite the long-term
consequences, negatively reinforcing impulsive behavior. However, no research has tested whether individuals
high on urgency actually behave more impulsively in the face of negative emotions, what situations might
enhance or buffer this effect, or what role affect-driven impulsivity plays in the development of alcohol and
marijuana misuse during young adulthood. The goal of the current study is to (Aim 1) characterize the within-
person process of negative urgency (Aim 2) identify between and within person moderators of that process,
such as alcohol-promoting situations and emotion regulation, and (Aim 3) test the role of EMA-assessed
urgency in the development of alcohol and marijuana misuse over two years of young adulthood. Using a large
(n = 500) sample of young adults (age 18 – 22) who regularly use alcohol or marijuana recruited from the
community, the proposed study will critically test this theory of urgency using an ecological momentary
assessment design matched with longitudinal follow-ups, allowing us to characterize between individual
differences in the within-person process of impulsive responses to negative emotions, and the situations and
behaviors that may exacerbate or attenuate this link. Understanding the mechanisms by which personality may
lead to substance misuse will provide novel targets of research as well as spur the development of more
focused personality targeted interventions.
The following was appended in April 2021 for the purposes of an administrative supplement to the original
grant.
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Intern Role
 A Summer Research Intern selected through the NIDA Summer Research Internship Program will join
the project and engage with research staff and participants. They will be trained in human subjects research
and the study protocol; roughly 60% of their time will be dedicated to study tasks such as meeting with
participants for the onboarding appointment and attending meetings with research assistants. The other 40%
of their time will be spent engaging in training and literature review guided by Dr. Kevin King. These efforts will
be undertaken with the goal of building the intern’s knowledge of study-related research on impulsivity and
substance use. Some flexibility will be allowed so that the intern and mentor (Dr. King) might customize their
training toward their particular interests within the scope of the study.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10399178
- **Project number:** 3R01DA047247-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Kevin Michael King
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $9,896
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-07-15 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10399178

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10399178, Ecological Momentary Assessment of Negative Urgency's Effects on Alcohol and Marijuana Misuse (3R01DA047247-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10399178. Licensed CC0.

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