NCJ Number
205905
Journal
Youth Studies Australia Volume: 23 Issue: 2 Dated: June 2004 Pages: 22-30
Date Published
June 2004
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This Australian study examined a range of beliefs that differentiate binge-drinkers from nonbinge-drinkers among an at-risk group for binge-drinking (young female college undergraduates), using the theory of planned behavior model as a framework.
Abstract
The theory of planned behavior (TPB) is an extension of Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action (TRA). The central premise of the TPB is that rational decisions are made by systematically using accessible information. According to the planned behavior model, the immediate antecedent of behavior is postulated to be the person's intention to perform it. Intentions, in turn, are theorized to be a function of three independent determinants: a persons's attitude toward engaging in the behavior of interest; the subjective norm, which reflects perceived social pressure to perform or not perform the behavior; and perception of the extent to which the behavior is under volitional control. In testing the TPB with regard to female undergraduate binge-drinking, the current study involved 139 first-year female undergraduate students enrolled in introductory psychology units at a large Australian university. The study used a prospective design with two waves of data collection. Prior to data collection, an elicitation questionnaire was administered. A content analysis was performed on the elicitation study data, and modal responses were used as the belief-based item in the main questionnaire administered during wave 1 of data collection. This wave included an assessment of belief items related to binge-drinking. The second wave of data collection assessed binge-drinking over the 2 weeks between data collection waves. Binge-drinking was defined as the consumption of five or more standard alcoholic beverages in a single session. Of the participants who completed the main questionnaire, 78.42 percent (n=109) completed the follow-up questionnaire at wave 2 of the data collection. Forty-eight percent of the sample (n=52) engaged in binge-drinking at least once during the 2-week period. To compare the beliefs of respondents who did and did not binge-drink, six one-way multivariate analyses of variance were performed using binge-drinking as the independent variable. The findings suggest that both attitudinal and normative beliefs distinguish between young female undergraduate students who binge-drink and those who do not. The binge-drinking women were more likely to believe that having fun/socializing, having a hangover/feeling sick, and behaving embarrassingly were likely outcomes of engaging in binge-drinking. The binge-drinkers were also more likely to report that having fun/socializing and reducing inhibitions would be pleasant outcomes of binge-drinking. Although binge-drinker beliefs about health damage from drinking were more negative while reduction of inhibitions was viewed more positively, these factors were not considered significant probable outcomes of binge-drinking. The findings suggest that a focus on the behavioral and normative beliefs held by young women may assist in reducing binge-drinking among this group. 2 tables and 29 references