The psychometric properties of a version of the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire for assessing motivations for responsible drinking

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Drinking motives, or reasons people choose to drink, are well-established risk factors for alcohol use and related negative consequences. Recent research has shown utility in a self-determination theory (SDT) approach for describing motivation for engaging in behaviors that reduce the harms associated with alcohol use (i.e., drinking responsibly). In the present study, we examined the relationship between drinking motives and motivations for drinking responsibly as well as their unique and incremental associations with alcohol-related outcomes (protective behavioral strategies [PBS], consumption, and negative consequences) in two samples of college student drinkers: (a) a random sample (n = 507) recruited from a Hispanic-Serving Institution on the U.S. border with Mexico (M age = 22.84, SD = 5.84; 67.3% female; 90.9% Hispanic) and (b) a convenience sample (n = 2,808) from Psychology Department research participation pools at 10 universities in 8 U.S. states (M age = 20.59, SD = 4.18; 72.9% female; 58.2% non-Hispanic White). Autonomous motivations (experience of volition and choice) for drinking responsibly were negatively correlated with drinking motives, but these correlations were small-to-medium in magnitude suggesting nonredundancy between the constructs. Drinking motives were risk factors for alcohol-related outcomes, especially alcohol-related problems, and autonomous motivations for drinking responsibly were protective factors for alcohol-related outcomes, especially PBS. Both motivational constructs predicted alcohol-related outcomes beyond the other, but drinking motives generally accounted for more variance. These findings suggest that integrating motivation in relation to both drinking and drinking responsibly may lead to a better understanding of alcohol-related behaviors and the associated negative consequences among college students. Implications for college drinking interventions are discussed.

Section: Drinking Motivesmentioning

confidence: 90%

A comprehensive examination of alcohol-related motivations among college students: Unique relations of drinking motives and motivations for drinking responsibly.

Richards¹,

Pearson²,

Field³

2022

Self Cite

“…To test central tenets of SDT as applied to responsible drinking, the present study first tested the psychometric properties of the TSRQ, extending the work of Richards et al (2020) by examining the factor structure and assessing measurement invariance. The present study replicated the four-factor structure for the responsible drinking version of the TSRQ found by Richards et al Further, the four-factor structure is both consistent with SDT and previous psychometric studies on other versions of the TSRQ (e.g., tobacco cessation; Levesque et al, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Primary analyses were conducted using M plus 8.3 (Muthén & Muthén, 1998–2019), and missing data were handled using full-information maximum likelihood estimation. First, we conducted confirmatory factor analysis of the TSRQ four-factor model reported by Richards et al (2020). Based on Hu and Bentler (1999), we used a combination of fit indices to evaluate model fit, including the comparative fit index (CFI; >.90 is acceptable), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI; >.90 is acceptable), root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA; <.06 is acceptable), and standardized root mean square residual (SRMSR; <.08 is acceptable).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The present study seeks to further test central tenets of SDT to understand motivations for drinking responsibly by extending the work of Richards et al (2020). First, we examine if the factor structure of the TSRQ holds in a larger, random sample of college students in comparison to the smaller, convenience sample collected by Richards et al from the same institution.…”

Section: Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Further validation of the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire for assessing motivations for responsible drinking: A test of self-determination theory.

Richards¹,

Pearson²,

Field³

2021

Self Cite

Alcohol protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are cognitive-behavioral strategies used before, during, and/or after drinking to reduce alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. Self-determination theory (SDT) provides a potentially useful framework to understand motivations for responsible drinking, which is operationalized in the present study as PBS use. In the present study, we examined the relation of motivations for responsible drinking, as assessed by the Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ), with other SDT constructs (psychological need satisfaction and dispositional autonomy) and PBS use. A sample of 507 college students who reported consuming alcohol at least once in the past 3 months were recruited from a random sample of students enrolled at a Hispanic serving institution to complete an online survey. Consistent with SDT and previous studies of the TSRQ, we found support for a 4-factor structure of the TSRQ. The TSRQ demonstrated measurement invariance across several sociodemographic subgroups within the sample (e.g., biological sex, age, year in school), supporting the use of the TSRQ across these subgroups. Further, consistent with SDT-based hypotheses, greater psychological need satisfaction and dispositional autonomy were related to more self-determined motivations for responsible drinking. Also consistent with SDT, more self-determined motivations for responsible drinking were related to more frequent PBS use. The present findings further support the utility of the TSRQ for assessing motivations for responsible drinking and support SDT as a framework for understanding responsible drinking. Future directions for research applying SDT to understand and promote responsible drinking among college students are discussed. Public Health SignificanceThis study suggests that college students are more likely to engage in alcohol-related protective behavioral strategies if they endorse more autonomous reasons for responsible drinking. Satisfaction of three psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness as well as higher dispositional autonomy are related to more autonomous reasons for responsible drinking. Promoting more autonomous reasons for responsible drinking through alcohol interventions may increase harm reduction behaviors among college students.

“…The 14-item version of the adapted Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ; Richards, Morera, & Field, 2021; Richards et al, 2021b) was used to assess the four motivations for drinking responsibly based on SDT defined previously: autonomous motivation (six items), introjected regulation (2 items), external regulation (4 items), and amotivation (2 items). Example items were provided previously.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comprehensive examination of motivational profiles for alcohol-related behaviors among college students.

Richards¹,

Schwebel²,

Joseph³

et al. 2023

Self Cite

Recent research demonstrates unique relations of types of motivation for drinking responsibly based on self-determination theory and drinking motives with alcohol-related outcomes among college students. In the present study, we sought to extend prior research by using a person-centered approach to simultaneously consider types of motivation within and across these motivational constructs as well as their synergistic relations with alcohol-related outcomes. We used cross-sectional survey data from 2,808 college students at 10 universities in eight states across the United States who reported past-month alcohol use (Mage = 20.59, SD = 4.18; 72.9% female; 58.2% non-Hispanic White). A series of latent profile analyses were conducted using types of motivation for drinking responsibly and drinking motives as indicators. A five-profile solution was selected as optimal. Mean comparisons indicated that profiles defined by high endorsement of higher quality motivations for drinking responsibly (i.e., more self-determined) and low endorsement of drinking motives in combination were related to the most frequent protective behavioral strategies use, least alcohol use, and fewest negative alcohol-related consequences. Additionally, these profiles were higher on dispositional autonomy and psychological need satisfaction and lower on psychological need frustration. These findings provide initial insight into simultaneously considering motivational profiles for the interrelated behaviors of drinking responsibly and drinking that can be leveraged in college drinking interventions.