Citation

Bravo AJ, Prince MA, Pearson MR. J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 2015; 76(6): 872-883.

Affiliation

Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

26562595

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The present study attempted to assess the evidence of use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) as a mediator in the relationship between drinking motives and alcohol outcomes. Specifically, to understand various statistical approaches in modeling this proposed mediation model (e.g., drinking motives to PBS use to alcohol outcomes), we tried to replicate models based on earlier research.

METHOD: To maximize the robustness of our replication attempts, we conducted each replication attempt across two distinct data sets whenever possible. Participants were recruited from psychology department research pools at a large southeastern U.S. university (Sample 1; n = 774) and a large southwestern U.S. university (Sample 2; n = 594). We matched the original articles' analytic procedures as closely as possible including overall analysis approach, measurement of variables, and inclusion/exclusion criteria.

RESULTS: Consistent with previous studies, we found that PBS use may be a mechanism through which both positively reinforcing (i.e., social and enhancement) motives and coping motives relate to alcohol outcomes (e.g., alcohol-related consequences). Specifically, students who tend to drink for these specific motives appear to use fewer PBS, which may place them at risk for heavier, more problematic drinking.

CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that when drinking motives are examined separately, they demonstrate differential relationships with PBS use and alcohol outcomes. Overall, it is clear that PBS use plays a role in the drinking motives-alcohol outcomes relationship, but this role varies by type of motive.

Language: en