Moderators of the Effects of Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies: Three Attempts of Replication and Extension

ABSTRACT

Background: Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) can be used to reduce alcohol-related harm when drinking. Despite much research demonstrating that use of protective behavioral strategies (PBS) is associated with decreased alcohol use/problems, few studies have examined moderators of these associations. Moderation tests are important as they define the boundary conditions of the protective effects of PBS use (i.e., identify for whom and in what context PBS use reduces harm). Objectives: We aimed to replicate and extend the findings from three published studies that have examined putative moderators of PBS-alcohol associations: self-regulation, negative urgency, and drinking refusal self-efficacy. Method: Participants were recruited from a psychology department participant pool at a large, southwestern university in the United States (N = 628). Results: Although we replicated most main effects and bivariate correlations, we failed to replicate any of the moderation effects (i.e., interaction effects). Conclusions/Importance: We urge PBS researchers to attempt to replicate moderation effects in independent samples to determine these effects' reproducibility. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Protective behavioral strategies
• self-regulation
• negative urgency
• drinking refusal self-efficacy
• alcohol-related problems

Acknowledgments

MRP designed the study, wrote the protocol and IRB application, drafted the introduction, method, and overall discussion; conducted analyses and wrote the results/discussion for one of the replication attempts. MAP conducted analyses and wrote the results/discussion for one of the replication attempts. AJB conducted analyses and wrote the results/discussion for one of the replication attempts. All authors conducted edits and approved of the final manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Funding

Dr. Pearson is supported by a career development grant (K01-AA023233) from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Dr. Bravo is supported by a training grant (T32-AA018108) from the NIAAA. NIAAA had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the article for publication.