Cheers! A Means‐End Chain Analysis of College Students’ Bar‐Choice Motivations

Abstract

Drinking alcohol is a major activity among college students. Most of the research on this subject has focused on students’ motivations for excessive drinking and the associated public health concerns. Little research has investigated the leisure context in which students drink alcohol, specifically, why students choose to drink in particular bars. The present study uses a means‐end chain methodology to explore students’ motivation for selecting bars in which they drink. Depth interviews with 36 college students reveal the attributes of a bar that are most important to them, as well as the anticipated consequences and underlying personal values that motivate the preference for these attributes.

Key words:

• Means‐End Chain
• college student drinking
• leisure motivations
• bar choice