Cara C. Tomaso

Association of acculturation with drinking games among Hispanic college students.

Abstract Objective: This cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate which components of acculturation relate to drinking games participation among Hispanic college students. We also sought to examine whether the relationships between acculturation and drinking games would differ from the associations between acculturation and other alcohol-related outcomes. Method: A sample of 1,397 Hispanic students aged 18–25 (75% women; 77% US-born) from 30 US colleges and universities completed a confidential online survey. Results: Associations among acculturative processes, drinking games participation, general alcohol consumption, and negative drinking consequences differed across gender. Most significant findings emerged in the domain of cultural practices. For women, US cultural practices were associated with greater general alcohol consumption, drinking games frequency, and amount of alcohol consumed while gaming, whereas for men, US cultural practices were associated with general alcohol consumption and negative drinking consequences. Conclusions: Hispanic and US cultural practices, values, and identifications were differentially associated with drinking games participation, and these associations differed by gender. It is therefore essential for college student alcohol research to examine US culture acquisition and Hispanic culture retention separately and within the domains of cultural practices, values, and identifications.

Frequency of drinking games participation and alcohol-related problems in a multiethnic sample of college students: Do gender and ethnicity matter?

INTRODUCTION A drinking game (DG) is a high-risk, social drinking activity that consists of certain rules (i.e., when to drink and how much to consume) designed to promote inebriation and that requires each player to perform a cognitive and/or motor task (Zamboanga et al., 2013). Research suggests that non-White or female students who play DGs are at an increased risk of experiencing alcohol-related problems. Thus, this study examined whether the associations between DG participation and alcohol-related problems were similar for men and women and across ethnic groups. METHOD College students (N=7409; 73% women; 64% White, 8% Black, 14% Hispanic, 14% Asian) from 30 U.S. colleges/universities completed self-report questionnaires. RESULTS Controlling for age, site, Greek membership (i.e., membership in a fraternity or sorority), and typical alcohol consumption, results indicated that the association between DG participation and alcohol-related problems was stronger for men compared to women. With respect to ethnicity, the association between these variables was stronger among Black women than Black men. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this large-scale study highlight the need to closely investigate how gender and ethnicity moderate the associations between DG participation and alcohol-related problems. College intervention efforts designed to address high-risk drinking behaviors such as DG participation might consider paying close attention to ethnic minority populations, perhaps particularly Black women.

Surveying the Literature on Acculturation and Alcohol Use among Hispanic College Students: We're Not All on the Same Page

During the past several years, a steadily growing body of literature examining acculturation and alcohol use among Hispanic college students has emerged. A review of this literature suggests that there have been (and continues to be) mixed findings regarding the association between acculturation and alcohol use in this population. Thus, the exact nature of this association is not clear. This paper provides an overview of this literature and outlines recommendations for future research that will help to elucidate the complexities inherent in this line of work.

Validation of a Seven-Factor Structure for the Motives for Playing Drinking Games Measure.

Playing drinking games can be characterized as a high-risk drinking activity because games are typically designed to promote heavy alcohol consumption. While research suggests that young adults are motivated to play drinking games for a variety of reasons (e.g., for thrills/fun, for the competition), the Motives for Playing Drinking Games measure has received limited empirical attention. We examined the psychometric properties of this measure with a confirmation sample of young adults recruited from Amazon’s MTurk (N = 1,809, ages 18-25 years, 47% men; 41% not currently enrolled in college) and a validation sample of college students (N = 671; ages 18-23 years; 26% men). Contrary to the 8-factor model obtained by Johnson and Sheets in a study published in 2004, examination of the factor structure with our confirmation sample yielded a revised 7-factor model that was invariant across race/ethnicity and college student status. This model was also validated with the college student sample. In the confirmation sample, enhancement/thrills and sexual pursuit motives for playing drinking games were positively associated with gaming frequency/consumption and negative gaming consequences. Furthermore, conformity motives for playing drinking games were positively associated with negative gaming consequences, while competition motives were positively associated with gaming frequency. These findings have significant implications for research and prevention/intervention efforts.

Drinking Game Participation Among High School and Incoming College Students: A Narrative Review

AbstractThe transition from high school to college has been characterized as a potentially vulnerable period because of decreased parental supervision and increased autonomy. This transition can increase risk for participation in high-risk behaviors such as drinking games (DGs), which are a social drinking activity that encourages intoxication and are associated with negative alcohol-related consequences. To date, there has not been a narrative review of DG research that examines this activity among high schoolers and incoming college students specifically, and thus, the current review bridges this gap. Findings indicate that DG participation is consistently linked to negative consequences (e.g., passing out, becoming sick) and other high-risk behaviors, such as prepartying (drinking before going to a social event). In addition, DG participation is linked to demographic (e.g., age, gender), psychological (e.g., personality, alcohol cognitions), and contextual/cultural factors (e.g., the college drinking culture). These findings have implications for current prevention and intervention efforts and suggest promising directions for future research.

The risks of being "manly": masculine norms and drinking game motives, behaviors, and related consequences among men

Research suggests a link between masculine norms and drinking behaviors and related consequences; however, the mechanisms of risk are not well understood, particularly with respect to drinking games. The present study helps bridge the masculinity and alcohol use literatures by examining the mechanisms by which certain masculine norms (i.e., winning, risk taking, heterosexual presentation, power over women, and playboy norms) are directly associated with drinking game behaviors and consequences, and indirectly by way of increased motivations to play drinking games for competition reasons, for enhancement/thrills, and/or to sexually manipulate others. Participants completed anonymous self-report surveys and consisted of young adult men who were current drinkers and drinking gamers (N = 905). Controlling for typical alcohol use on nondrinking game occasions, results indicated that certain masculine norms (i.e., heterosexual presentation, risk taking, and power over women) were directly associated with drinking game behaviors and/or consequences. Consistent with motivational models of alcohol use, conformity to masculine norms was also indirectly related to drinking game behaviors and consequences through their associations with specific drinking game motives. Both power over women and playboy norms were indirectly related to negative drinking game consequences through their positive associations with sexual manipulation motives. In addition, risk taking, winning, and playboy norms were indirectly related to drinking game behaviors and related consequences by way of increased endorsement of enhancement/thrills motives. Finally, risk taking, winning, and power over women were indirectly related to drinking game frequency through their positive associations with competition motives. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.

“Try Walking in Our Shoes” Teaching Acculturation and Related Cultural Adjustment Processes Through Role-Play

In this article, we describe several role-playing exercises on acculturation and relevant cultural adjustment processes that we incorporated into Tomcho and Foel’s classroom activity on acculturation, and we report data that examine subsequent changes in students’ responses on pretest and posttest measures shortly after the activity and present qualitative themes derived from students’ reflections taken from an assignment at the end of the semester. We found no increases in students’ perceptions that role-playing can help them gain a better understanding of acculturation. However, there were increases in students’ awareness that acculturation is a real-world phenomenon, their understanding of how acculturation can impact people’s lives, and their sensitivity and empathy for people who face some of the challenges associated with acculturation, even after controlling for students’ pretest level of interest in cultural issues. Furthermore, thematic analyses indicated that students learned some of the challenges associated with acculturation and were able to label personal experiences associated with acculturation. They also gained concrete knowledge about and in-depth realization of the concept of acculturation. Instructors who teach psychology classes can use this exercise to complement traditional methods of teaching.

All it takes is one: drinking games, prepartying, and negative drinking consequences among high school students

Abstract Prepartying (i.e. drinking before a social event/gathering) and participation in drinking games are two high-risk drinking behaviors practiced by adolescents. Engaging in both these drinking behaviors may contribute to a multiple risk paradigm, wherein the risk associated with one’s general drinking is combined with the additional risk of rapidly ingesting alcohol as a result of one or both these activities. The present study examines this paradigm among high school students who reported alcohol use (N = 240). Controlling for age and typical alcohol consumption, results indicated that participation in prepartying or drinking games was associated with more negative alcohol-related outcomes than non-participation. However, participation in both risky behaviors, as opposed to one, did not give rise to negative additive effects. Thus, students who participate in just one of these activities warrant the same attention from health professionals and school personnel as those who participate in both. Importantly, results also showed that students who reported drinking games participation and prepartying endorsed social and coping drinking motives just as frequently as students who only reported drinking games participation. However, students who engaged in multiple high-risk drinking behaviors were more inclined to drink to enhance the intensity of the “high” associated with alcohol use.

Introduction to the Special Issue on College Drinking Games

Abstract Drinking games are high-risk, social drinking activities comprised of rules that promote participants’ intoxication and determine when and how much alcohol should be consumed. Despite the negative consequences associated with drinking games, this high-risk activity is common among college students, with participation rates reported at nearly 50% in some studies. Empirical research examining drinking games participation in college student populations has increased (i.e. over 40 peer-reviewed articles were published in the past decade) in response to the health risks associated with gaming and its prevalence among college students. This Special Issue of The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse seeks to advance the college drinking games literature even further by addressing understudied, innovative factors associated with the study of drinking games, including the negative consequences associated with drinking games participation; contextual, cultural, and psychological factors that may influence gaming; methodological concerns in drinking games research; and recommendations for intervention strategies. This Prologue introduces readers to each article topic-by-topic and underscores the importance of the continued study of drinking games participation among college students.

Extreme Consumption Drinking Gaming and Prepartying Among High School Students

ABSTRACT Drinking games and prepartying (i.e., drinking before going to a social gathering/event) have emerged as high-risk drinking behaviors in high school students. The present study examines the current prepartying behaviors of high school students who report current participation in extreme-consumption games (e.g., chugging) with those who do not. High school students (N = 182) reporting current drinking-games participation completed anonymous surveys. Gamers who prepartied frequently (versus those who did not) were approximately 1.5 times more likely to play extreme-consumption games, even after controlling for demographics, typical consumption, and participation in other types of drinking games. Practitioners should target adolescents who participate in extreme consumption games, particularly those who participate in this high-risk activity as a form of prepartying.