Frequency of Recent Binge Drinking Is Associated With Sex-Specific Cognitive Deficits: Evidence for Condition-Dependent Trait Expression in Humans
Evolutionary theory suggests that commonly found sex differences are largest in healthy populations and smaller in populations that have been exposed to stressors. We tested this idea in the context of men’s typical advantage (vs. women) in visuospatial abilities (e.g., mental rotation) and women’s...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2020-10-01
|
| Series: | Evolutionary Psychology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/1474704920954445 |
| _version_ | 1811224238376353792 |
|---|---|
| author | Liana S. E. Hone MPH, PhD John E. Scofield MS Bruce D. Bartholow PhD David C. Geary PhD |
| author_facet | Liana S. E. Hone MPH, PhD John E. Scofield MS Bruce D. Bartholow PhD David C. Geary PhD |
| author_sort | Liana S. E. Hone MPH, PhD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Evolutionary theory suggests that commonly found sex differences are largest in healthy populations and smaller in populations that have been exposed to stressors. We tested this idea in the context of men’s typical advantage (vs. women) in visuospatial abilities (e.g., mental rotation) and women’s typical advantage (vs. men) in social-cognitive (e.g., facial-expression decoding) abilities, as related to frequent binge drinking. Four hundred nineteen undergraduates classified as frequent or infrequent binge drinkers were assessed in these domains. Trial-level multilevel models were used to test a priori Sex × Group (binge drinking) interactions for visuospatial and social-cognitive tasks. Among infrequent binge drinkers, men’s typical advantage in visuospatial abilities and women’s typical advantage in social-cognitive abilities was confirmed. Among frequent binge drinkers, men’s advantage was reduced for one visuospatial task (Δ d = 0.29) and eliminated for another (Δ d = 0.75), and women’s advantage on the social-cognitive task was eliminated (Δ d = 0.12). Males who frequently engaged in extreme binges had exaggerated deficits on one of the visuospatial tasks, as did their female counterparts on the social-cognitive task. The results suggest sex-specific vulnerabilities associated with recent, frequent binge drinking, and support an evolutionary approach to the study of these vulnerabilities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:46:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-640213c681544299895af1a585d6ad1b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1474-7049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T08:46:09Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Evolutionary Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-640213c681544299895af1a585d6ad1b2022-12-22T03:39:43ZengSAGE PublishingEvolutionary Psychology1474-70492020-10-011810.1177/1474704920954445Frequency of Recent Binge Drinking Is Associated With Sex-Specific Cognitive Deficits: Evidence for Condition-Dependent Trait Expression in HumansLiana S. E. Hone MPH, PhD0John E. Scofield MS1Bruce D. Bartholow PhD2David C. Geary PhD3 Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA Missouri Center for Addiction Research and Engagement, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USAEvolutionary theory suggests that commonly found sex differences are largest in healthy populations and smaller in populations that have been exposed to stressors. We tested this idea in the context of men’s typical advantage (vs. women) in visuospatial abilities (e.g., mental rotation) and women’s typical advantage (vs. men) in social-cognitive (e.g., facial-expression decoding) abilities, as related to frequent binge drinking. Four hundred nineteen undergraduates classified as frequent or infrequent binge drinkers were assessed in these domains. Trial-level multilevel models were used to test a priori Sex × Group (binge drinking) interactions for visuospatial and social-cognitive tasks. Among infrequent binge drinkers, men’s typical advantage in visuospatial abilities and women’s typical advantage in social-cognitive abilities was confirmed. Among frequent binge drinkers, men’s advantage was reduced for one visuospatial task (Δ d = 0.29) and eliminated for another (Δ d = 0.75), and women’s advantage on the social-cognitive task was eliminated (Δ d = 0.12). Males who frequently engaged in extreme binges had exaggerated deficits on one of the visuospatial tasks, as did their female counterparts on the social-cognitive task. The results suggest sex-specific vulnerabilities associated with recent, frequent binge drinking, and support an evolutionary approach to the study of these vulnerabilities.https://doi.org/10.1177/1474704920954445 |
| spellingShingle | Liana S. E. Hone MPH, PhD John E. Scofield MS Bruce D. Bartholow PhD David C. Geary PhD Frequency of Recent Binge Drinking Is Associated With Sex-Specific Cognitive Deficits: Evidence for Condition-Dependent Trait Expression in Humans Evolutionary Psychology |
| title | Frequency of Recent Binge Drinking Is Associated With Sex-Specific Cognitive Deficits: Evidence for Condition-Dependent Trait Expression in Humans |
| title_full | Frequency of Recent Binge Drinking Is Associated With Sex-Specific Cognitive Deficits: Evidence for Condition-Dependent Trait Expression in Humans |
| title_fullStr | Frequency of Recent Binge Drinking Is Associated With Sex-Specific Cognitive Deficits: Evidence for Condition-Dependent Trait Expression in Humans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Frequency of Recent Binge Drinking Is Associated With Sex-Specific Cognitive Deficits: Evidence for Condition-Dependent Trait Expression in Humans |
| title_short | Frequency of Recent Binge Drinking Is Associated With Sex-Specific Cognitive Deficits: Evidence for Condition-Dependent Trait Expression in Humans |
| title_sort | frequency of recent binge drinking is associated with sex specific cognitive deficits evidence for condition dependent trait expression in humans |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/1474704920954445 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lianasehonemphphd frequencyofrecentbingedrinkingisassociatedwithsexspecificcognitivedeficitsevidenceforconditiondependenttraitexpressioninhumans AT johnescofieldms frequencyofrecentbingedrinkingisassociatedwithsexspecificcognitivedeficitsevidenceforconditiondependenttraitexpressioninhumans AT brucedbartholowphd frequencyofrecentbingedrinkingisassociatedwithsexspecificcognitivedeficitsevidenceforconditiondependenttraitexpressioninhumans AT davidcgearyphd frequencyofrecentbingedrinkingisassociatedwithsexspecificcognitivedeficitsevidenceforconditiondependenttraitexpressioninhumans |