Reducing alcohol consumption during pre-drinking sessions: testing an integrated behaviour-change model

Abstract

Objective: Pre-drinking, the practice of consuming alcohol prior to attending a subsequent 2 event, increases the risk of alcohol-related harm, and is common in undergraduate student 3 populations. The current study tested an integrated behaviour change model to identify the 4 motivational, social-cognitive, and implicit predictors of pre-drinking. 5 Design: University students (N = 289) completed an online questionnaire comprising 6 measures of motivational and social-cognitive constructs related to reducing pre-drinking 7 alcohol consumption and past behaviour, and an implicit association test for drinking identity. 8 Participants reported their pre-drinking alcohol consumption at follow-up, four weeks from 9 baseline. 10 Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported pre-drinking alcohol consumption. 11 12 Results: A variance-based structural equation model revealed that few model hypotheses 13 were supported. Although the effects of past behaviour, perceived behavioural control, and 14 implicit drinking identity, on follow-up pre-drinking alcohol consumption were 15 statistically significant, the effect of intention was not. 16 Conclusion: Current findings indicate pre-drinking alcohol consumption is associated with 17 past behaviour, perceived behavioural control, and implicit drinking identity, and not 18 intentions to reduce pre-drinking alcohol consumption. Finding raise questions over the 19 validity of applying the integrated model in this context. Interventions should consider these 20 factors and attempt to facilitate the formation of intentions that lead to subsequent behaviour.

Reasoned and implicit processes in heavy episodic drinking: An integrated dual‐process model

“…First, the finding that implicit alcohol identity predicted behaviour unmediated by intentions is consistent with dual-process theories (Strack & Deutsch, 2004) and previous research on alcohol, which suggests that implicit attitudes model non-conscious processes that determine behaviour (Caudwell et al, 2019). First, the finding that implicit alcohol identity predicted behaviour unmediated by intentions is consistent with dual-process theories (Strack & Deutsch, 2004) and previous research on alcohol, which suggests that implicit attitudes model non-conscious processes that determine behaviour (Caudwell et al, 2019).…”

“…3 We found statistically significant direct effects of past behaviour on attitude, subjective norm, implicit alcohol identity, intentions, habit at time 1, and HED. Finally, consistent with previous research applying social cognitive theories to predict health behaviour (Brown et al, 2017), including alcohol consumption (Caudwell et al, 2019;Norman & Conner, 2006), introducing past behaviour and habit as predictors in the model attenuated model effects. In addition, we found a significant direct effect of habit at time 2 on HED.…”

“…Study measures were multi-item self-report measures of social cognitive constructs, habit, and past frequency of HED based on published guidelines and measures used in previous studies (Ajzen, 2002a;Caudwell et al, 2019;Gardner, Abraham, Lally, & de Bruijn, 2012). Participants provided their responses on scales with between five-and seven-point response options (see Table 1).…”

“…Definitions of HED vary by country and organization, but according to the WHO (2018) it is defined as consuming more than six 'standard' drinks (any alcoholic beverage containing 10 g of alcohol) in one session, at least monthly (WHO, 2018). Recent research has applied social cognition theories to identify the psychological correlates of risky alcohol consumption behaviours, including HED, and the processes involved (Caudwell, Keech, Hamilton, Mullan, & Hagger, 2019). Recent research has applied social cognition theories to identify the psychological correlates of risky alcohol consumption behaviours, including HED, and the processes involved (Caudwell, Keech, Hamilton, Mullan, & Hagger, 2019).…”

“…The over-representation of university students engaging in HED and the consistently small effects of interventions aimed at curbing student HED (Prosser, Gee, & Jones, 2018) emphasizes the need to identify the determinants and associated mechanisms driving this behaviour in this population. Recent research has applied social cognition theories to identify the psychological correlates of risky alcohol consumption behaviours, including HED, and the processes involved (Caudwell, Keech, Hamilton, Mullan, & Hagger, 2019). A leading approach has been to adopt integrated models of social cognition that encompass constructs representing reasoned and implicit processes that lead to behavioural engagement (Strack & Deutsch, 2004).…”