I Can Play All Night: Examining the Relationship Between Perceived Tolerance and Drinking Game Alcohol Consumption

Abstract

The present study examined the impact of perceived tolerance to alcohol on maximum alcohol consumption while playing drinking games. Participants were student drinkers (N=3,546) from two west coast universities. Among these students, 69.2% (n=2,290) reported playing a drinking game in the past month. Analyses demonstrated game players had higher perceived tolerances, and consumed more alcohol than non-game players. A regression model revealed that higher levels of perceived tolerance were related to increased maximal alcohol consumption while playing drinking games. Study limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

RÉSUMÉ

Jeux dangereux: Etude de la relation entre tolerance percue et consomation d'alcool lors de jeux de boisson

Cette étude examine l'impact de la tolérance perçue lors de jeux impliquant la consommation d'alcool sur la consommation maximale d'alcool lors de ces jeux. L’échantillon est constitué d’étudiants consommateurs d'alcools (N = 3,546) issus de deux universités de la cote ouest. Parmi ces étudiants (n = 2,290), 69.2% ont déclaré avoir participé a un jeu impliquant la consommation d'alcool dans le mois précédent l’étude. Les analyses ont démontré que les joueurs avaient une tolérance perçue supérieure et consommaient plus d'alcool que les non-joueurs. Une analyse de régression a révélé que des niveaux de tolérance perçue plus élevés était liés a des consommations maximales plus élevées lors des jeux impliquant la consommation d'alcool. Les limites de l’étude ainsi que ses implications pour de futures études sont discutées.

RESUMEN

Puedo jugar toda la noche: Explorando la relación entre la percepción de la tolerancia al alcohol y su consumo en los juegos para emborracharse

El presente estudio explora el impacto de la percepción de la tolerancia al alcohol en casos de máximo consumo de esta sustancia al participar en juegos para emborracharse. Los participantes eran estudiantes consumidores de alcohol (N = 3,546) de dos universidades de la Costa Oeste de los Estados Unidos. Entre estos estudiantes, 69.2% (n = 2,290) reportó que había participado en juegos para emborracharse durante el último mes. Los análisis demuestran que los participantes en estos juegos mostraron una percepción más alta de su tolerancia al alcohol y consumieron más esta sustancia que los no participantes. Un modelo de regresión revela que los niveles altos de percepción de tolerancia al alcohol se relacionan con un incremento de consumo máximo de alcohol al participar en juegos para emborracharse. Se discuten las limitaciones e implicaciones del estudio.

Keywords :

• alcohol
• drinking games
• perceived tolerance
• college students
• gender differences
• Greek-status differences

THE AUTHORS

Phillip Ehret is the Research Coordinator at the Heads Up research lab at Loyola Marymount University and a doctoral student in Social Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. His primary research focuses on designing effective health messaging and reducing defensive and resistant health message processing through self-affirmation.

Joseph W. LaBrie is currently the Special Assistant to the President, Professor of Psychology, and Director of the Heads Up research lab at Loyola Marymount University. He obtained a PhD in Clinical Psychology in 2002 from the University of Southern California, in addition to holding a MDiv in Theology and a MS in Mathematics. His research interests are focused on prevention and intervention efforts for risky behaviors among young adults and adolescents. Dr LaBrie has published over 90 research articles in this area and been the recipient of numerous private and federal grants to study young adult health behaviors and approaches to prevention and intervention.

Justin F. Hummer is the Assistant Director of the Heads Up research lab at Loyola Marymount University and a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychological Science program at the University of Southern California. His primary research interests consider how social and cognitive factors relate to the etiology, prevention, and treatment of health-risk behaviors among college students, family systems, and aging populations.

Notes

1 The reader is reminded that the concepts of “risk factors” as well as “protective factors” are often noted in the literature without adequately noting their dimensions (linear, non-linear; rates of development; anchoring or integration, cessation, etc.), their “demands,” the critical necessary conditions (endogenously as well as exogenously; from a micro to a meso to a macro level) that are necessary for either of them to operate (begin, continue, become anchored and integrate, change as de facto realities change, cease, etc.) or not to, and without clarifying whether their underpinnings are theory-driven, empirically based, individual and/or systemic stake holder-bound, or based upon “principles of faith,” historical observation, precedents and traditions that accumulate over time, perceptual and judgmental constraints, “transient public opinion,” etc. It is necessary to consider and to clarify the above if these terms are not to remain as yet additional shibboleth in a field of many stereotypes, tradition-driven activities, “principles of faith,” and stakeholder objectives.