Do gender and year of study affect the ability of the theory of planned behaviour to predict binge-drinking intentions and episodes?

'You see the pictures the morning after and you're like I wish I was in them': an interpretative phenomenological analysis of university student's alcohol-related regrets

OBJECTIVES

University students report experiencing regrettable health and social outcomes following excessive alcohol consumption. Students also report experiencing regret when they are unable to attend drinking events. This study explored how such experiences influence risk appraisals and decisions about future alcohol consumption.

DESIGN AND MEASURES

Thirteen university students (69% female, 18-20 years old) discussed the interplay of regret with alcohol consumption, and nonattendance at drinking events, in one of three focus groups. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).

RESULTS

IPA produced three super-ordinate themes: 'It's not something I would have done sober', 'Attitudes towards action regret' and 'Fear of Missing Out (FoMO)'. Participants reported regrettable experiences (e.g. alcohol poisoning, tattoos), and a gender difference in risk appraisals was apparent. Attitudes towards action regret affected risk appraisals and informed future drinking decisions. Participants reported experiencing FoMO when they were unable to attend drinking events.

CONCLUSION

Regrettable incidents following excessive consumption were seen as common but did not affect risk appraisals or future drinking decisions. Students' reported they preferred the regrettable experiences that follow excessive consumption than the FoMO experienced when they were unable to attend drinking events, suggesting FoMO may drive attendance at future drinking events.

Do preparatory behaviours predict alcohol consumption among UK university students?

OBJECTIVE

This study explored whether the frequency and habitual nature of engagement in three behaviours that may serve as preparation for alcohol consumption on a night out with friends - that is, contacting friends to arrange a night out, buying alcohol, drinking alone at home before going out - predicted consumption on such nights.

DESIGN

Prospective correlational design.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty UK university students (68 female, 50 male, two non-binary, mean age = 20.78 years, SD = 1.52) completed a survey comprising intentions, habits, and frequency and habit for the three preparatory behaviours. One week later, a second survey measured the number of nights out with friends on which alcohol was drunk (i.e., drinking frequency) and the number on which four or more alcoholic drinks were consumed (i.e, excessive drinking). Regression models were run to predict drinking frequency and excessive drinking.

RESULTS

Drinking frequency was predicted only by frequency of contacting friends (B = .28, SE = .12, p = .02), and habitually drinking alone before going out (B = .20, SE = .09, p = .03). Excessive drinking was only predicted by alcohol consumption habit (B = .67, SE = .23, p = .003).

CONCLUSIONS

Preceding actions may influence the frequency of alcohol consumption on nights out, independently of intentions and habits relating to alcohol consumption. While interventions to reduce consumption quantity in a single session might focus on disrupting the habits that sustain drinking episodes, efforts to reduce alcohol consumption frequency on nights out might focus on disrupting behaviours that precede alcohol consumption.

The Theory of Planned Behavior and the Social Identity Approach: A New Look at Group Processes and Social Norms in the Context of Student Binge Drinking

The current study investigates the theory of planned behavior with important additional predictors from the social identity approach. The study explores whether social identity might function as a driver of the theory of planned behavior and help explain how abstract group processes might impact student binge drinking behavior. Adopting a controlled statistical analysis, the hypothesized model expands the theory of planned behavior’s current conceptualization of group norms and considers how the behavioral content of a specific group, with group identification, impacts binge drinking behavior (N = 551 university students). A path analysis that simultaneously mapped all the hypothesized relationships supported a reconceptualization of social identity as a predictor within the theory of planned behavior. The interaction between group identification and the importance of drinking to the group’s identity significantly predicted an individual’s attitudes towards binge drinking and perceived social binge drinking norms (subjective, descriptive and injunctive), which in turn predicted intentions to binge drink. Intentions to binge drink predicted self-reported binge drinking behavior two weeks later, above and beyond relevant covariates. The implications of these findings are discussed, with recommendations for future research.

Regret Me Not: Examining the Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and Regrettable Experiences

Alcohol use is a considerable public health concern, leading to negative health and adverse social consequences. Despite widespread knowledge and acceptance of these consequences many individuals continue to drink excessively. Lack of regret for these consequences may partially explain this. Objectives: To examine the prevalence of regrettable experiences and their role in future intentions to drink. Methods: In two studies (Study 1: cross-sectional; Study 2: longitudinal) participants reported on 18 regrettable experiences; from common regrets (e.g. hangover), to risky behaviors (e.g. drug taking), and serious regrets (e.g. driving under the influence), over a two-week period. Results: Prevalence of regrettable experiences was high (e.g. 79.0% of individuals in study 1 and 66.9% of individuals in study 2 experienced a hangover). Prevalence was greater for common regrets compared to risky behaviors and serious regrets. In study one, alcohol consumed over the previous fortnight predicted the number of different regrettable experiences over the same period. In study two, units consumed on a day-to-day basis predicted the number of regrets on that same basis. Neither study demonstrated evidence for the predictive utility of regrets for intentions to consume alcohol in the future. Conclusions: These findings suggest high prevalence of regrettable experiences, that are predicted by increased alcohol consumption. However, there was little evidence that increased number of experiences predicted future drinking intentions. Regrettable experiences are prevalent following consumption, however a focus on these regrets to deter future alcohol consumption may not be an effective psychological intervention.