Alcohol abuse is more prevalent among young adults than any other age group and there is evidence to suggest that college students are the heaviest drinking segment of the young adult population. Previous early interventions to reduce alcohol abuse among college students have produced modest effects. Moreover, the typical multi-component nature of most interventions, coupled with insufficient attention to potential mediators of interventions effects, makes it difficult to identify the factors responsible for reductions in alcohol abuse. The major aim of this research is to determine whether individualized normative feedback and alcohol expectancy challenges are effective in reducing alcohol abuse among college students. Normative feedback is a major component of motivational interviewing approaches to reduce problem behaviors and alcohol expectancy challenges have shown promise in reducing college student drinking. However, no study to date has examined the efficacy of combining both procedures. Through the use of a 2X2 normative feedback (yes or no) X alcohol expectancy challenge (yes or no) factorial design, this study will determine whether normative feedback and alcohol expectancy challenge approaches are effective in reducing alcohol abuse among college students. It is hypothesized that groups receiving normative feedback or alcohol expectancy challenge will demonstrate lower levels of heavy drinking and alcohol problems than those not receiving these interventions and that the effects of combining these factors will be additive (Specific Aim 1). Structural equation modeling techniques will be used to examine whether changes in alcohol expectancies and perceived norms mediate relations between intervention conditions and outcome measures (Specific Aim 2). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses will examine whether intervention effects are moderated by individual and situation factors (Specific Aim 3). The long-term objectives of this research are to improve the efficacy of early interventions and inform research and theory on the etiology of alcoholism. More effective interventions would result in fewer injuries from acute intoxication and lessen the risk for the development of alcoholism as a result of chronic alcohol abuse.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Type
First Independent Research Support & Transition (FIRST) Awards (R29)
Project #
5R29AA012241-03
Application #
6168497
Study Section
Community Prevention and Control Study Section (CPC)
Program Officer
Boyd, Gayle M
Project Start
1998-09-15
Project End
2003-08-31
Budget Start
2000-09-01
Budget End
2001-08-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$114,496
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Rhode Island
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
135531015
City
Kingston
State
RI
Country
United States
Zip Code
02881
Capone, Christy; Wood, Mark D (2009) Thinking about drinking: need for cognition and readiness to change moderate the effects of brief alcohol interventions. Psychol Addict Behav 23:684-8
Wood, Mark D; Capone, Christy; Laforge, Robert et al. (2007) Brief motivational intervention and alcohol expectancy challenge with heavy drinking college students: a randomized factorial study. Addict Behav 32:2509-28
Read, Jennifer P; Wood, Mark D; Capone, Christy (2005) A prospective investigation of relations between social influences and alcohol involvement during the transition into college. J Stud Alcohol 66:23-34
Kahler, Christopher W; Strong, David R; Read, Jennifer P et al. (2004) Mapping the continuum of alcohol problems in college students: a Rasch model analysis. Psychol Addict Behav 18:322-33
Wiers, Reinout W; Wood, Mark D; Darkes, Jack et al. (2003) Changing expectancies: cognitive mechanisms and context effects. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 27:186-97
Read, Jennifer P; Wood, Mark D; Kahler, Christopher W et al. (2003) Examining the role of drinking motives in college student alcohol use and problems. Psychol Addict Behav 17:13-23
Kahler, Christopher W; Read, Jennifer P; Wood, Mark D et al. (2003) Social environmental selection as a mediator of gender, ethnic, and personality effects on college student drinking. Psychol Addict Behav 17:226-34
Wood, M D; Read, J P; Palfai, T P et al. (2001) Social influence processes and college student drinking: the mediational role of alcohol outcome expectancies. J Stud Alcohol 62:32-43
Wood, M D; Sher, K J (2000) Risks of alcohol consumption in laboratory studies involving human research participants. Psychol Addict Behav 14:328-34