Alcohol-related affordances and group subjectivities: A Q-Methodology study

Abstract

Aims: An Ecological approach to alcohol behaviour focuses on understanding individualenvironment transactions, rather than on cognitive antecedents of behaviour. Meaning exists in the interdependence of individuals and their environments, in terms of affordances. Through subjective experience, this study focussed on group viewpoints related to alcohol-related affordances, or opportunities to consume alcohol in shared drinking environments. Methods: Forty students with a range of self-reported drinking behaviours participated in a Q-Methodology study, ranking 60 statements along a symmetrical grid. This varied concourse of alcohol-related affordances was obtained from a previous observation study within licenced premises and a photo-elicitation interview study with drinkers. Findings: Factor analysis and post-sort interviews revealed four subjective perspectives held by groups about their drinking behaviour: 13 participants were aware of contextual influences, but autonomous in their drinking choices; 12 participants were conscious of influences and compliant to their effects; six participants were unaware of influences, but unanimous with their peers; two participants were concerned about acting appropriately in a context by taking up canonical affordances. Conclusions: Grouping subjectivities from a varied concourse of affordances can reveal subjective experience in relation to drinking environments and alcohol behaviour. This conceptual approach for understanding drinking behaviour should be studied further.

A Longitudinal Analysis of Gambling Predictors among Adolescents

“…Other authors consider that gambling among adolescents is also predicted by non-reflective processes such as behavior-driven by affordances [ 33 ], normative perception and judgment about gambling behavior when it is approved by people who are considered important [ 34 , 35 ] to the individual. Taking the above into account, it is proposed to find the risk factors that predict gambling behavior, among those which make up the components of adolescent gambling prevention programs.…”

“Everything is telling you to drink”: understanding the functional significance of alcogenic environments for young adult drinkers

“…Social cognitive models based on these notions, such as The Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behaviour (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975), aim to alter attitudes, intentions or beliefs to prevent problematic consumption. Unfortunately, the limited effectiveness of prevention approaches based on these principles has been both striking and disappointing for prevention scientists (Babor et al, 2010;Hill, Pilling, & Foxcroft, 2017;Marteau, Ogilvie, Roland, Suhrcke, & Kelly, 2011;Sniehotta, Presseau, & Araújo-Soares, 2014 ;Webb & Sheeran, 2006).…”

Affordances for drinking alcohol: A non‐participant observation study in licensed premises

“…For example, approaches such as The Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behaviour (Ajzen & Fishbein, ) often consider intentions as a primary mediator of behaviour. Unfortunately, not only are many of these social cognition models relatively poor predictors of actual behaviour (Gerrard, Gibbons, Houlihan, Stock, & Pomery, ; Vlaev & Dolan, ; Webb & Sheeran, ), they are not theoretically coherent regarding the role played by complex environmental or ecological factors (Hill, Foxcroft, & Pilling, ; Hill, Pilling, & Foxcroft, ). As both the individual and the environment are equally involved in producing behaviour, researchers should take a more relational approach to understanding and preventing alcohol misuse.…”