Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to explain the drinking motivations of social, high-risk, and extreme drinkers on game day

Abstract

Objective: This research assessed the extent to which the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) correctly predicted college student's motivation to consume alcohol on game day based on alcohol consumption rates. Methods: A time series study was conducted utilizing 3000 randomly selected college students. On the Monday following one of three designated college home football games three different cohorts consisting of 1,000 participants respectively were invited to complete an anonymous web-based survey. Path analyses were conducted to determine which of the TPB constructs was most effective in predicting Behavioral Intention and alcohol consumption among social, high-risk, and extreme drinkers. Social drinkers, high-risk, and extreme drinkers were defined as males who consumed 1-4, 5-9, or 10 or more drinks on game day (1-3, 4-8, or eight or more drinks for females), respectively. Results: Attitude Towards the Behavior and Subjective Norms constructs predicted participant's intentions to consume alcohol and corresponding behavior among all three classifications of drinkers; whereas the Perceived Behavioral Control construct inconsistently predicted intention and alcohol consumption. The proportion of variance the TPB model explained decreased the more participants drank based on Behavioral Intentions. Conclusions: It appears that Attitude Toward the Behavior and Subjective Norm constructs within the TPB can effectively be utilized when designing universal prevention interventions targeting game day alcohol consumption among college students. However, the applicability of the PBC construct remains in question. While still helpful, behavioral theories other than the TPB should be considered when addressing the needs of high-risk and extreme drinkers.