NCJ Number
219485
Journal
Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education Volume: 51 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2007 Pages: 26-39
Date Published
June 2007
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined the characteristics of a variety of drinking games (DG) and female college students’ motives for playing DG.
Abstract
Analysis of the characteristics of a variety of DG revealed variations across the different types of DG in terms of popularity of the game, type of alcoholic beverage consumed, competitiveness of the game, intoxication level, and game duration. Motivations for playing DG among college females were differentially associated with intoxication level across the various DG categories. For certain games, the motives of competition and thrills as well as fun and celebration were positively associated with levels of intoxication in these games. The findings suggest that not all DG pose the same health risk for participants, which is consistent with previous findings. The findings also indicate the need for college officials to educate staff and students about problem drinking and should provide nondrinking activities as an alternative to DG. Future research should focus on intervention efforts aimed at reducing hazardous drinking behaviors on college campuses. Participants were 162 female college students recruited from an all-female college in the Northeastern United States. Participants completed two surveys, one focusing on college athletes’ social and health behaviors and the other focusing on drinking behavior among college students generally. Participants completed a grid that listed popular categories of DG played on college campuses and reported which they had participated in and why. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. References, tables