LE3 .A278 2019

2019

Kruisselbrink, Darren

Acadia University

Bachelor of Kinesiology

Honours

Kinesiology (with Psychology)

Kinesiology

In research surrounding hangover and performance, variance in hangover severity within-subjects and the role of effort on performance has been scarce. In particular, the interaction between effort and hangover severity has not yet been linked to relate to performance outcomes in neurocognitive and physical task completion post-intoxication. This study examined the relationship between hangover severity and performance outcomes, as well as the relationship between effort and performance and interaction between effort and hangover severity. Volunteers (5 male, 12 female) participated in two drinking nights, one of light alcohol consumption and another of heavy alcohol consumption. Participants were tested in a series of neurocognitive tasks including the Symbol Digit Modality Test, the Minnesota Manual Dexterity Test, and the Trail Making B Test, and one physical test of grip strength. The relationship between change in effort, change in hangover severity and the interaction between the two as it relates to performance was analyzed using multiple hierarchical regressions. Though there were statistically significant main effects of hangover severity and effort, the magnitude to which these variables influenced the performance outcomes was minimal. There were main effects noted for hangover severity across light and heavy drinking nights as overall effort increased and performance decreased when hangover severity heightened. Hierarchical regressions predicting change in performance as a function of change in hangover severity, change in effort, and the interaction between change in hangover severity and change in effort showed that change in grip strength performance was significantly predicted by change in hangover severity. Furthermore, a significant hangover severity x effort interaction was found with the Symbol Digit Modality Test attempts suggesting that when hangover severity increased substantially, more effort buffered performance decline where as when hangover severity increased by a small amount more effort produced poorer performance. Conversely, the significant hangover severity x effort interaction with the Minnesota Manual Dexterity test time completion suggests that when hangover severity increased substantially, more effort produced poorer performance whereas when hangover severity increased by a small amount, more effort produced better performance. This study has shown that there are overall residual alcohol effects influenced by hangover severity and effort, however the magnitude and direction of these results are weakly linked to the performance outcomes.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:3236