Pathways of personality and learning risk for addictive behaviors: A systematic review of mediational research on the acquired preparedness model.

Objective: The Acquired Preparedness (AP) model proposes that impulsive personality traits predispose some individuals to learn certain behavior-outcome associations (expectancies), and that these expectancies in turn influence the escalation of risky behaviors. This theory has been applied to the development of behaviors such as drinking, drug use, gambling, and disordered eating. In the current study, we aimed to summarize empirical tests of this model over the 20 years since it was proposed.

Method: We used a descriptive approach to summarize tests of mediation across 50 studies involving n = 21,715 total participants.

Results: We observed a consistent effect of personality on expectancies (median effect size = .22), of expectancies on behavior (.24), and a small mediated effect (.05) of personality on behavior via expectancies. Impulsive traits that involve positive or negative affect showed the most consistent support for AP, as did positive expectancies. Most studies testing AP focused on alcohol, but research on other behaviors also showed support for AP.

Conclusions: The literature appears to support a small mediated effect consistent with the AP model. Future research should continue to clarify which AP pathways are most influential in explaining risky behaviors, and supplement correlational research with experimental and quasi-experimental designs.