Adolescence is a time of significant neurobiological development and is characterized by many social, environmental, and behavioral changes. It is also a period of heightened risk-taking behavior, including the decision to drink. One significant predictor of future alcohol misuse is a family history of alcoholism. In adolescence, both personal and familial alcohol misuse have been shown to be associated with structural alterations in the brain, as well as greater impulsive choice – a temporal facet of decision making. In this dissertation, a monetary gain discounting paradigm was used to investigate the interactive role that both personal and familial alcohol misuse play in the longitudinal development of impulsive choice across adolescence.
