Personality and motivational correlates of energy drink consumption and misuse among female undergraduate students

•We examined whether personality constructs could predict energy drink misuse.•Data were analyzed from 96 female undergraduate students.•Negativism and grade orientation predicted inability to stop using energy drinks.•Eveningness was positively correlated with energy drink tolerance.•No personality variables were related to negative consequences of energy drink use.

This study used the theoretical framework of reversal theory to examine the associations between energy drink consumption and personality constructs, including negativism, morningness–eveningness, and learning orientation/grade orientation. An initial sample of 201 undergraduate students at a Canadian university responded to an online survey that included measures of energy drink consumption, demographics, and personality. Students who were older, those who had not used energy drinks in the past year, and the small number of males who remained after applying other exclusionary criteria were removed from final analyses, yielding a final sample of 96 female participants. Negativism and grade orientation were positively correlated with the inability to stop using energy drinks. In addition, eveningness was positively associated with energy drink tolerance. However, none of the personality variables were significantly associated with negative consequences of energy drink use. The findings of the present study contribute to the understanding of students’ energy drink consumption and may guide university health professionals in developing programs designed to reduce energy drink misuse.