Implicit cognition in the prediction of substance use among drug offenders

This research evaluated the utility of motivationally relevant implicit mem ory measures in predicting marijuana and alcohol use in a sample of cultura lly diverse drug offenders. In addition, the authors examined whether cultu ral variables interacted with these predictive effects. Implicit memory was assessed with measures of word association (cue-behavior and outcome-behav ior association) that implicitly activates drug-related memory associations to drug cues. Results indicate that the implicit memory measures used in t his research were significant predictors of alcohol and marijuana use. Accu lturation, ethnicity, and gender did not modify the relationships between i mplicit memory and substance use. The results are consistent with psychopha rmacological theories contending that (a) repeated experience with drugs in fluences motivationally relevant associations in memory and (b) these assoc iations perpetuate drug use.