Abstract
This study examined the associations between excessive alcohol intake during adolescence and neurocognitive functioning in young adulthood and whether these relations varied by sex. Participants were working-class Chilean adolescents (N = 692; Mage 16.0 years; 54.5% female) who provided frequency of past 30-day bingeing and past-year intoxication. Neurocognitive measures were completed in young adulthood (Mage 21.2 years). Illicit substance users were excluded a priori and other substance use was controlled. When males and females were considered simultaneously, no main effects of intoxication or bingeing were found. However, several sex-specific effects emerged for intoxication, such that more frequent intoxication was associated with poorer visual memory, attention, processing speed, response inhibition, and cognitive flexibility in females, while frequent intoxication related to better attention and processing speed in males. In general, effect sizes were small. No relations emerged for verbal memory, working memory, or spatial learning. Possible factors that contribute to divergent sex effects are discussed.
Abstract
This study examined the factor structure and measurement invariance of the competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring (Five Cs) model using the Positive Youth Development (PYD) survey’s short (34 items) and very short versions (17 items). We also tested its criterion-related validity with life satisfaction, flourishing, transcendence, perceived societal and school statuses, and COVID-19 anxiety. In the Philippines, 1,116 senior high school students completed this survey (age: M = 17.61 years; SD = 0.91). The results support the bi-factor model for both formats, which showed varying levels of measurement invariance across gender, SES, and school type. Controlling for the general PYD construct, character and caring (i.e., socio-emotional Cs) showed negative latent factor correlations with competence and confidence (i.e., efficacy-related Cs). Almost all PYD dimensions exhibited expected associations with the criterion-related measures. As the very short version showed low reliability for competence and character, our results support using the 34-item short scale to measure the general and individual dimensions of adolescent thriving.

