Jessica L. Martin

Drinking Motives and College Students: Further Examination of a Four-Factor Model.

The purposes of this study were to examine the reliability and validity of a 4-factor model of the Drinking Motives Measure and to assess year in school and ethnic differences on different types of motives. Data were collected on 441 volunteer college students. Results indicated that fit indices for the 4-factor model were acceptable; fit indices were also better for the 4-factor model than they were for alternative models. Freshman students and students of color had higher scores on the Conformity motives subscale than senior and White students did, respectively. Additionally, differences in the correlation between Conformity motives and alcohol use existed based on year in school, such that the relationship was significantly smaller for freshmen than it was for other students.

Changes in protective behavioral strategies and alcohol use among college students.

BACKGROUND Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are specific cognitive-behavioral strategies designed to reduce alcohol consumption and resulting negative consequences. A host of studies have examined the cross-sectional relationship between such strategies and alcohol use in the high-risk population of United States college students, but prospective studies on the construct are lacking. The primary purposes of this study were to determine if PBS use prospectively predicted subsequent alcohol use/alcohol-related problems and if changes in PBS use were associated with less alcohol use and fewer problems. METHODS Data were examined from 521 heavy drinking college students (60% male, 84% White, mean age=18.9 years). Participants completed questionnaires assessing alcohol use, alcohol-related problems, and PBS use at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups. RESULTS Analysis of residualized change scores indicated that increases in some PBS across time were associated with less alcohol use and fewer alcohol-related problems at follow-up. Findings regarding the prospective relationship between PBS use and subsequent alcohol use/problems were equivocal. DISCUSSION Results from the study suggest that PBS may have value in alcohol-related interventions among college students. Clinicians who help clients increase their use of PBS may help those clients increase the probability of drinking less and experiencing fewer alcohol-related problems in the future.

College athletes’ drinking motives and competitive seasonal status: Additional examination of the athlete drinking scale

The Athlete Drinking Scale (ADS) was designed to assess a set of drinking motives unique to intercollegiate athletes. Although results from initial validation studies were promising (Martens, M. P., Watson, J. C., Royland, E. M., Beck, N. C. 2005. Development of the athlete drinking scale. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 19:158–164; Martens, M. P., Labrie, J. W., Hummer, J. F., Pedersen, E. R. 2008. Understanding sport-related drinking motives in college athletes: Psychometric analyses of the athlete drinking scale. Addictive Behaviors 33:974–977), to date only cross-sectional studies on the measure have been published. The purposes of this longitudinal study were to determine whether the factor structure of the ADS remains consistent across a group of athletes’ competitive season and off-season, determine whether scores on the ADS increased during athletes’ competitive seasons, and assess the relationships among athlete-specific drinking motives and drinking behaviors across these two time points. Complete data were obtained from 153 athletes representing 11 varsity sports teams competing at the NationalCollegiate Athletic Association Division I level. Longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis at the subscale level indicated that fit indices for the hypothesized three-factor model of the ADS were excellent. Repeated measures ANOVA indicated that athlete-specific drinking motives increased during the athletes’ competitive seasons, and scores on the ADS subscales were associated with alcohol use and alcohol-related problems at both time points. Results provide support for the validity of the ADS and have implications for researchers and clinicians working in the area of alcohol prevention among collegiate athletes.

Perceived drinking norms among black college students: the race of reference group members.

Social norms have been consistently shown to influence alcohol use among college students. Much of the research in this area is focused on mostly White samples. This study sought to expand our understanding of social norms theory by examining perceptions of normative alcohol use among Black students and determining the impact of the race of reference group members on personal alcohol use. Participants (N=130; 73.8% female) completed an online questionnaire. Results of repeated measures of analysis of variance indicated that participants perceived all referent groups (i.e., White, same race, typical student) as drinking significantly more than they did. Results of hierarchical regression analysis indicated that perceptions of typical student drinking significantly predicted personal alcohol use. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Does trait urgency moderate the relationship between parental alcoholism and alcohol use

Many college students engage in unsafe amounts of alcohol use, resulting in considerable alcohol-related problems. Several recent studies have shown that trait urgency is positively associated with a variety of addictive behaviors. What is not known is the way it may interact with other risk factors of alcohol use in predicting alcohol-related outcomes. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to determine if trait urgency moderated the relationship between parental alcoholism and both alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. Data were collected on 324 undergraduate students who were participating in a research study as a result of an alcohol-related judicial infraction. Results indicated that trait urgency moderated the relationship between parental alcoholism and alcohol-related problems, but not parental alcoholism and alcohol use. There was a strong positive relationship between parental alcoholism and alcohol-related problems for those high in trait urgency, while no relationship existed between parental alcoholism and alcohol-related problems for those low in trait urgency. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Applying for Grant Funding as a Counseling Psychologist From Thought to Action

Counseling psychologists can benefit from grant funding because it can support their research and training of doctoral students. Now more than ever, universities across the nation are encouraging faculty to seek funding from external sources. This reality creates an opportunity for counseling psychologists to develop grant writing skills and take their research to new levels by obtaining funding to support larger scale studies or clinical interventions. We seek to provide a resource for counseling psychologists and doctoral students that provides guidance and tips for successfully seeking and applying for grants that fit areas of research common in our field. Topics covered in this article include how to get involved in the grant writing process, obtaining mentorship, crafting a successful application, and understanding the outcome of a grant review. Grant funding is an attainable goal for counseling psychologists at all stages of their training and career.

Disordered eating and alcohol use among college women: Associations with race and big five traits

Excessive alcohol use and disordered eating are considerable health-related problems among college women. The purpose of the present study was to examine how specific patterns of disordered eating (i.e., anorexia, bulimia, binge eating) are related to alcohol use and related problems and the influence of racial group membership and Big Five personality traits on the co-occurrence of these behaviors. Participants were 153 undergraduate women. Results indicated that White women reported more binge drinking, alcohol-related problems, disordered eating, anorexia nervosa symptoms, and bulimia nervosa symptoms than non-White women. Women with higher levels of openness and who engage in extreme exercise, dieting, fasting, or purging were more at risk for heavy and problematic alcohol use. Implications for the treatment of co-occurring disorders among college students and further research are discussed.

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.

Alcohol use Exacerbates Acculturative Stress Among Recently Immigrated, Young Adult Latinas

Associations between theorized sociocultural factors and acculturative stress were examined among Latina immigrants (aged 18–23 years) during their initial months in the US. Participants’ quantity of alcohol use was hypothesized to be linked with more acculturative stress. Using respondent-driven sampling, 530 Latinas who recently immigrated to Miami-Dade County, Florida, were recruited from community activities, Latino health fairs, advertisements at community agencies, and online postings. A path analysis revealed associations between acculturative stress and more time in the US and greater commitment to ethnic identity. Marianismo gender role beliefs differentially related with acculturative stress. Quantity of alcohol use moderated the positive association between time in US and acculturative stress, such that women in the US for less time who drank more alcohol experienced higher levels of acculturative stress than their peers. Findings suggest quantity of alcohol use may exacerbate acculturative stress during some Latina young adult immigrants’ initial months in the US.

Examining the factor structure of the Motives for Playing Drinking Games measure among Australian university students: Motives For Playing Drinking Games

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS Given the prevalence of drinking games among university students and the health risks associated with playing drinking games, it is important to consider motivations for participation. The psychometric properties of the Motives for Playing Drinking Games (MPDG) measure have been examined among US college student samples, but mixed findings have been reported regarding the number of factors in the measure. This is the first study to examine the factor structure and applicability of the MPDG measure among a sample of Australian university students. DESIGN AND METHODS University students (N = 254; aged 18-46 years; 62% female) with prior drinking experience completed an online survey which included questions pertaining to demographics, drinking game frequency and consumption, drinking game consequences and the MPDG measure. RESULTS Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated that the originally proposed 8-factors within the MPDG measure were problematic in the current sample and a revised 7-factor solution was preferred. Analyses examining the relations of the revised 7 MPDG factors with drinking game behaviours (e.g. gaming-specific consequences and amount consumed during play) highlighted the importance of some MPDG (enhancement/thrills, conformity and sexual pursuit motives). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS While the MPDG measure shows promise for assessing drinking game-specific motives, the need to consider the applicability of MPDG subscales across different samples was apparent.