Graduation Term

Spring 2026

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Department of Psychology: Clinical-Counseling Psychology

Committee Chair

Jeffrey Kahn

Committee Member

Laura Finan

Abstract

Difficulties in emotion regulation have been consistently linked to substance use among college students. However, individual differences may influence this relationship. Conscientiousness, a personality trait characterized by self-control, planning, and goal-directed behavior, has been proposed as a potential protective factor. The present study examined associations among difficulties in emotion regulation, conscientiousness, and substance use behaviors, as well as whether conscientiousness moderates the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and substance use. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational design, data was collected from college students recruited through a university participant pool. Participants completed self-report measures of emotion regulation difficulties, conscientiousness, and substance use via Qualtrics. Due to positive skew in substance use frequency variables, dichotomous indicators of substance use were used in analyses. Pearson correlations indicated that greater difficulties in emotion regulation were associated with lower conscientiousness and with greater cannabis and illicit substance use, but not with alcohol or electronic cigarette use. Higher conscientiousness was associated with lower electronic cigarette, cannabis, and illicit substance use. Substance use indicators were significantly and positively correlated with one another, with alcohol use showing particularly strong associations with electronic cigarette and cannabis use, and moderate associations observed between cannabis and illicit substance use. Moderated multiple regression analyses indicated that conscientiousness did not significantly moderate the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and substance use. These findings suggest that emotion regulation difficulties and conscientiousness independently contribute to substance use risk among college students.

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

Download

Share

COinS