Using Present Verb Tense Can Positively Affect Substance Abuse

The use of present versus the past tense in recalling an experience with binge drinking can positively influence behaviors, an important development in aiding the development of alcohol abuse messages. That is the primary finding of a study by University of Pennsylvania Professor Dolores Albarracín , and colleagues Pilar Carrera, Dolores Muñoz, Amparo Caballero, and Itziar Fernàndez. Their findings, the result of three studies analyzing the use of tense by college-age students while recalling incidents of binge drinking, is reported in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (Vol. Issue 5). How an incident of binge drinking is recalled can have a positive impact on influencing future behavior. Albarracín, the Martin Fishbein Chair of Communication at Penn's Annenberg School for Communication, said that messages to reduce drinking may benefit from these findings. "It may be best to use the present tense when evoking images of non-drinking behaviors being promoted but the past tense for the drinking behaviors to prevent." She added that use of the present tense in scenarios like self-help groups, may be particularly beneficial in preventing abuse.