Alcohol Abuse and Other Risk Behaviors of Adolescents in Fuzzy-Trace Theory Perspective

Abstract

This article discusses the issue of adolescents’ risk behaviors (with accent on alcohol abuse) in perspective of cognitive processes assumed in Fuzzy-Trace Theory. This theory assumes that there are two independent memory traces (verbatim trace and gist trace), and describe their connection with reasoning processes – which are studied for example in developmental perspective. Presented article consist of short presentation of theoretical basis and selected studies (their methodology and results), which concern adolescents’ risk behaviors and methods of prevention.