Young people talking about alcohol: Focus groups exploring constructs in the prototype willingness model

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to explore constructs in the prototype willingness model (PWM) to establish if it provides a basis for understanding and preventing alcohol misuse in teenagers in the UK.

Methods: Four focus groups were carried out with 11–13 and 16–17 year olds. There were 13 males and 14 females. Transcripts of the focus groups were analysed using thematic analysis in NVivo.

Findings: Three PWM relevant themes were identified. The first theme brought together the alcohol prototypes described by participants. The second theme addressed drinking contexts and contrasts evidence that suggests that some drinking is planned and some is unplanned. The final theme looks at attitudes and norms including participants’ attitudes towards alcohol education.

Conclusions: The findings from this study show that young people in this sample held clear prototypes in relation to alcohol. The evident difference between ‘planned’ and ‘unplanned’ drinking contexts suggests that the PWM provides a more satisfactory explanation of young people's drinking than a decisional model based on intentions alone. Drinking alcohol was reported by the participants as a normative teenage behaviour. Implications for an intervention programme targeting alcohol prototypes and future research are discussed.