Matthew K. Meisel

Egocentric social network analysis of pathological gambling

AIMS To apply social network analysis (SNA) to investigate whether frequency and severity of gambling problems were associated with different network characteristics among friends, family and co-workers is an innovative way to look at relationships among individuals; the current study was the first, to our knowledge, to apply SNA to gambling behaviors. DESIGN Egocentric social network analysis was used to characterize formally the relationships between social network characteristics and gambling pathology. SETTING Laboratory-based questionnaire and interview administration. PARTICIPANTS Forty frequent gamblers (22 non-pathological gamblers, 18 pathological gamblers) were recruited from the community. MEASUREMENTS AND FINDINGS The SNA revealed significant social network compositional differences between the two groups: pathological gamblers (PGs) had more gamblers, smokers and drinkers in their social networks than did non-pathological gamblers (NPGs). PGs had more individuals in their network with whom they personally gambled, smoked and drank than those with who were NPG. Network ties were closer to individuals in their networks who gambled, smoked and drank more frequently. Associations between gambling severity and structural network characteristics were not significant. CONCLUSIONS Pathological gambling is associated with compositional but not structural differences in social networks. Pathological gamblers differ from non-pathological gamblers in the number of gamblers, smokers and drinkers in their social networks. Homophily within the networks also indicates that gamblers tend to be closer with other gamblers. This homophily may serve to reinforce addictive behaviors, and may suggest avenues for future study or intervention.

Narcissism, Overconfidence, and Risk Taking in U.S. and Chinese Student Samples

Narcissism, overconfidence, and risk seeking are all positively correlated in U.S. samples. Overconfidence and risk seeking show consistent cross-cultural variation with higher averages among Chinese samples than U.S. samples, whereas the prior literature is mixed with regard to narcissism. These variables have never been studied simultaneously across U.S. and Chinese cultures. In two studies, we investigated within-cultural and cross-cultural variability in narcissism, overconfidence, and risk taking between college students from comparable universities in the United States and China. In both studies and in both nations, all three variables correlated positively with each other when questions were asked about one’s own country. Individuals from China were more overconfident and risk seeking. Individuals from the United States displayed greater narcissism scores, but standard indexes of scale invariance were inadequate, rendering cross-cultural comparisons of narcissism itself infeasible. In Study 2, independent self-construal explained cross-cultural differences in narcissism scores, supporting the argument that cultural differences in viewing oneself as autonomous and separate from society are responsible for differences in narcissism scores across cultures. Parallel analyses with regard to overconfidence and risk taking were non-significant. Taken together, although narcissism, overconfidence, and risk taking tend to co-occur within cultures, the present cross-cultural analyses demonstrate that they may arise through different mechanisms. Independent self-construal may account for narcissism effects, but the explanations for overconfidence and risk taking remain speculative.

On Modeling Human Learning in Sequential Games with Delayed Reinforcements

We model human learning in a repeated and sequential game context that provides delayed reinforcements. Our context is signifcantly more complex than previous work in behavioral game theory, which has predominantly focused on repeated single-shot games where the actions of other agent are perfectly observable and provides for an immediate reinforcement. In this complex context, we explore several established reinforcement learning models including temporal difference learning, SARSA and Q-learning. We generalize the default models by introducing behavioral factors that are refective of the cognitive biases observed in human play. We evaluate the model on data gathered from new experiments involving human participants making judgments under uncertainty in a repeated strategic and sequential game. We analyze the descriptive models against their default counterparts and show that modeling human aspects in reinforcement learning signifcantly improves predictive capabilities. This is useful in open and mixed networks of agent and human decision makers.

Impulsive personality traits and alcohol use: Does sleeping help with thinking?

Both impulsivity and sleep disturbance have been associated with heavy alcohol use among young adults; yet studies to date have not examined their interactive effects. The current study aimed to determine if adequate sleep moderates the association between impulsive personality traits and alcohol use among young adults. College students (N = 568) who had been mandated to alcohol treatment following violation of campus alcohol policy provided information regarding alcohol use and related consequences, impulsive personality traits (measured using the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale), and perception of sleep adequacy as part of a larger intervention trial. Higher urgency, lower premeditation, and higher sensation-seeking predicted greater levels of alcohol consumption, while higher urgency predicted more alcohol-related consequences. As hypothesized, there was a significant interaction between premeditation and sleep adequacy in the prediction of drinks per week; in contrast to hypotheses, however, premeditation was associated with drinking only among those reporting adequate (rather than inadequate) sleep. Specifically, the tendency to premeditate was associated with less drinking among those who reported adequate sleep and was not associated with drinking among those reporting inadequate sleep. Sensation-seeking and urgency are associated with greater alcohol involvement among young adults, regardless of sleep adequacy. Conversely, the ability to plan ahead and anticipate the consequences of one’s behaviors (premeditation) is only protective against heavy drinking among individuals receiving adequate sleep. With replication, these findings may inform alcohol prevention and intervention efforts.

Characteristics of prospectively identified negative alcohol-related events among college students

BACKGROUND Throughout the first two years of college, the majority of drinkers experience one or more alcohol-related consequences. Research that examines the characteristics surrounding negative consequences typically utilizes global retrospective survey methods. The objective of the current study was to apply an event-based methodology to describe the circumstances of a recent drinking episode that resulted in one or more alcohol-related consequences among first- and second-year college students. METHODS We used a prospective web-based survey method to identify participants (N=296) who had one or more alcohol-related consequences in the past week. Shortly after reporting the consequence(s), participants attended an in-person interview during which they described the circumstances that preceded and followed the consequence(s), including the use of alcohol and other substances, proximal contextual factors including peer drinking, the characteristics of the negative alcohol-related consequence(s), and the reaction of others to the event. RESULTS The majority of participants reported experiencing the event at either their own (32.4%) or a friends (32.8%) residence, and 87.1% of participants were with peers when the event happened. Most (85.0%) of the sample indicated that their closest friend knew about their event. CONCLUSION The high peer involvement at all stages of the event suggest the potential for training college students to help each other avoid or prevent consequences.

Promotion by others through social networks

ABSTRACT Although self-promotion may be the most direct way people self-present, it carries social costs. We propose a novel phenomenon – promotion by others – wherein social networks may afford similar advantages with fewer costs. We utilized egocentric network analysis to examine relationships between social connections and perceived promoter potential (i.e., likelihood a friend will tell others about successes; PPP) and relationship dynamics. Participants enumerated friends and reported perceptions these friends would promote them, were valuable, and the extent to which they wanted these friends to know about successes. PPP was positively related to (a) network connectedness, (b) relational value, and (c) desire to know about success. We discuss benefits of promotion by others and individual differences related to engagement in this process.

Relationships between social network characteristics, alcohol use, and alcohol-related consequences in a large network of first-year college students: How do peer drinking norms fit in?

A burgeoning area of research is using social network analysis to investigate college students’ substance use behaviors. However, little research has incorporated students’ perceived peer drinking norms into these analyses. The present study investigated the association between social network characteristics, alcohol use, and alcohol-related consequences among first-year college students (N = 1,342; 81% of the first-year class) at one university. The moderating role of descriptive norms was also examined. Network characteristics and descriptive norms were derived from participants’ nominations of up to 10 other students who were important to them; individual network characteristics included popularity (indegree), network expansiveness (outdegree), relationship reciprocity, and network density. Descriptive norms were defined as participants’ average perceived binge drinking frequency among their nominated peers. Network autocorrelation models revealed that indegree and descriptive norms were positively associated with participants’ average number of drinks per week, binge drinking frequency, and alcohol-related consequences. Indegree and outdegree interacted with descriptive norms, such that when participants perceived less frequent binge drinking among their peers, outdegree was associated with less alcohol consumption but not consequences. When participants perceived more frequent binge drinking among their peers, indegree and outdegree were associated with more alcohol consumption but not consequences. The present results suggest that being popular and believing that heavy episodic drinking is normative among one’s peers are associated with greater alcohol risk. Further, alcohol risks associated with nominating more peers may be enhanced or lessened depending on students’ peer drinking norms. Implications for future research and interventions are discussed.

Initiation of vaporizing cannabis: Individual and social network predictors in a longitudinal study of young adults

BACKGROUND A trend has recently emerged of individuals using electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) or similar devices to vaporize cannabis, either in the form of high-potency THC concentrates or cannabis plant material. Peer use is central to the adoption of substance use behaviors in young adulthood, but little is known about peer influence for initiating cannabis vaping. METHODS A longitudinal investigation of first-year college students (N = 1313) using social network methods was conducted to determine the prevalence of vaping cannabis, differences in networks between individuals who initiate vaping cannabis, and predictors of initiation of vaping cannabis across two time points. The surveys were available for two weeks beginning in the sixth week of each semester. RESULTS We found that 9.4% vaped in their lifetime but not since the first survey, 7.5% vaped in their lifetime and since the first survey, and 5.9% reported vaping cannabis at the second survey. Lifetime cannabis use, lifetime ENDS use, and number of peers who initiated vaping cannabis from Time 1 to Time 2 were significantly associated with increased odds of the initiation of vaping cannabis; the number of any-cannabis-using or any-ENDS-using peers was not associated with increased odds of initiating vaping cannabis. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with the greatest risk of initiation of vaping cannabis during the first year of college are those with a prior history of other cannabis use and ENDS use and who have peers in their network who initiate cannabis vaping.

Resistance to peer influence moderates the relationship between perceived (but not actual) peer norms and binge drinking in a college student social network

INTRODUCTION Adolescent and young adult binge drinking is strongly associated with perceived social norms and the drinking behavior that occurs within peer networks. The extent to which an individual is influenced by the behavior of others may depend upon that individuals resistance to peer influence (RPI). METHODS Students in their first semester of college (N=1323; 54.7% female, 57% White, 15.1% Hispanic) reported on their own binge drinking, and the perceived binge drinking of up to 10 important peers in the first-year class. Using network autocorrelation models, we investigated cross-sectional relationships between participants binge drinking frequency and the perceived and actual binge drinking frequency of important peers. We then tested the moderating role of RPI, expecting that greater RPI would weaken the relationship between perceived and actual peer binge drinking on participant binge drinking. RESULTS Perceived and actual peer binge drinking were statistically significant predictors of participant binge drinking frequency in the past month, after controlling for covariates. RPI significantly moderated the association between perceptions of peer binge drinking and participants own binge drinking; this association was weaker among participants with higher RPI compared to those with lower RPI. RPI did not interact with the actual binge drinking behavior of network peers. CONCLUSIONS RPI may function to protect individuals from the effect of their perceptions about the binge drinking of peers, but not from the effect of the actual binge drinking of peers.