Citation

Greenfield TK, Guydish J, Temple MT. J. Stud. Alcohol 1989; 50(2): 108-115.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco 94143-9840.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989, Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2927125

Abstract

Dimensions of cognitions associated with self-regulation of alcohol consumption were studied using a 22-item Reasons for Limiting Drinking (RLD) scale in a student survey of nine universities. Data on 2,482 drinkers were factor analyzed using several methods in split halves and the total sample. Four interpretable factors accounting for 39% of the common variance were consistently found. Based on core content, these subjective motivational factors were labeled self-control, upbringing, self-reform and performance. Reliability analysis was used to construct subscales to assess these factors. Subscales had adequate internal reliability (alphas = .66-.73) for brief research scales. Relationships between the RLD subscales and between these subscales and selected demographic, alcohol-consumption and problem indicators are summarized. Based on these results and an application in a prevention experiment with heavily drinking students, the niche for such "reasons" measures in participant screening and program evaluation is discussed.

Language: en