| Summary: | Four field experiments were conducted to examine situational determinants of alcohol consumption at university fraternity parties. Certain manipulated variables were relevant to the development of environmental strategies for predicting and decreasing excessive alcohol consumption and deterring alcohol impaired driving. When entering university-sanctioned parties, students were asked a few questions and then they received a drink container and a stick-on badge, each with an ID number. During these parties, individual drinking rates of beer and mixed drinks or beer only were monitored under varying environmental conditions. When exiting the party, students' blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) were obtained with a breathalizer.
In Experiment 1, three types of beer (Budweiser, Bud Light, and LA) were available in kegs labeled "A", "B", and "C". At a second party the kegs were labeled according to beer content (i.e., Budweiser, Bud Light, and LA). Results showed significant differences in drink choice across parties, with Budweiser most preferred by males and females when kegs did not indicate beer content and Bud Light most preferred by males and females when the kegs were labeled according to brand. The low alcohol (LA) choice was only selected substantially when the kegs did not reflect beer content.
In Experiment 2, students of legal—drinking age at each of two weekend fraternity parties chose one of two types of alcoholic beverages (beer or mixed drinks) to consume throughout the night. Unbeknownst to the partiers, at the first of these two parties the beer drinkers were served regular beer, whereas at the second party low alcohol beer was served. Drinking rates were similar for beer and mixed-drink consumption at both parties; at the party with LA beer, students‘ mean BAC when leaving the party was significantly lower for the beer drinkers (i.e., .026 for LA consumers vs. .063 for mixed-drink consumers)
For Experiment 3, students of legal drinking age at a weekend fraternity party chose one of two types of alcoholic beverages (beer or mixed drinks) to drink throughout the night. Unbeknownst to the partiers, drinkers were randomly assigned to either a regular alcohol content or low alcohol content version of their preferred beverage type. The drinking rates were greater for beer drinkers than for partiers consuming mixed drinks. Drinking rates were similar for both the low and regular alcohol alternatives. However, exit BAC was significantly greater for those in the regular-alcohol conditions.
In Experiment 4, the alcoholic beverages available to students of legal—drinking age at one party (i.e., mixed drinks and beer) were served either by bartenders or served by themselves. A test of the theory of reasoned action was conducted by attempting to predict the number of drinks consumed and exit BAC from measures of general and specific intentions obtained two weeks before the party and at the start of the party. Specific drinking intentions obtained at the start of the party predicted a significant amount of variance in exit BAC (R = .59). The manipulation of situational variables also accounted for a portion of the variance in the number of drinks consumed and exit BAC. One environmental determinant at this party was the nature of drink delivery (i.e., self-serve vs. bartender). Male and female beer drinkers assigned to the Self-Serve condition drank at a higher rate and consumed more of their preferred beverage type than did those drinkers served by a bartender, or by those consuming mixed drinks in the self-serve condition. This increase was highest for male partiers. Male and female mixed drink consumers assigned to the Self·Serve condition drank at the lowest rate and consumed the least amount of their preferred beverage type. === Ph. D.
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