This project will evaluate a brief intervention strategy which has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing the occurrence of alcohol-related problems among college students in three pilot studies. Students who were asked to predict the types and frequency of alcohol-related problems during a discrete time period (Spring break, semester break) experienced fewer alcohol-related problems during that time period than a randomly selected control group. Three separate pilot studies with both American and Australian college students have replicated these results in three geographic locations. The current proposal will investigate several aspects of this intervention: 1) evaluate the internal validity on the intervention - are lower self-reports of alcohol-related problems reflecting an actual decrease in the incidence of alcohol-related problems; 2) test a hypothesis on how the prediction of alcohol-related problems results in lower self-reports of these problems and 3) identify what types of alcohol-related problems the intervention is most effective in reducing. The proposed study will use an experimental design with approximately 450 college students at a liberal arts college. Time line follow-back interviews will be used to assess the validity of the self-report measures on alcohol-related problems. Focus groups and a standardized measure of alcohol outcome expectancies will be used to assess the intervention's effect on expectancies regarding alcohol use.
