Naturalistic Influences on Alcohol Problems in College

描述(由申请者提供)：对成年人、青少年和大学饮酒者的研究表明，问题饮酒的自然进化在很大程度上发生了。尽管已经积累了相当多的文献来研究成年问题饮酒者的自然变化过程，但这种情况在大学生中很少被研究。越来越多的证据表明，不良酒精事件的经历(或积累)与这种自我改变过程有关，但此类事件的现象学经验尚未被前瞻性地研究。与问题饮酒进展相关的其他重要因素包括同伴和父母的影响、机构(大学)特征、人格特征、饮酒预期、动机和以前的饮酒经验。我们建议对罗德岛和马萨诸塞州南部三所大学的两组学生进行一项纵向研究，收集三波数据(大学预科、大一和大二)，对少数族裔学生进行过度抽样。除了年度调查外，所有学生在大一和大二期间将每两周定期进行一次筛查，使用基于网络的措施来检测特定的与酒精相关的不良事件的发生。有活动的学生将被随机选择，然后随机分配到活动后立即面谈或没有评估的控制组。事件访谈将衡量学生对事件的看法、他们的归因、后果和预期后果、对事件的社交网络反应以及改变的意图。这两组人将在活动三个月后再次接受采访。这一设计代表着两种用于调查大学饮酒的强大研究方法的创新桥梁，这两种方法将允许对保护性因素和风险因素进行检查。由此产生的知识应成为预防性干预措施的依据。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Research examining adult, adolescent, and college drinkers suggests that a natural evolution out of problem drinking occurs for a significant portion. Although a fairly substantial body of literature has accrued that examines processes of naturalistic change in adult problem drinkers, this occurrence has rarely been studied among college students. There is converging evidence that the experience (or accumulation) of adverse alcohol events is relevant for this self-change process, but the phenomenological experience of such events has not been studied prospectively. Other important factors related to the progression of problem drinking include peer and parent influences, institutional (college) characteristics, personality characteristics, alcohol expectancies, motivation, and prior experience with alcohol. We propose to conduct a longitudinal study with three waves of data collection (pre-college, freshman, and sophomore year) with two cohorts of students at three colleges in Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts, over sampling for ethnic minority students. In addition to yearly surveys, all students will be regularly screened bi-weekly throughout their freshman and sophomore years using a web-based measure to detect the occurrence of specific alcohol-related adverse events. Students who have events will be randomly selected and then randomly assigned to either an immediate post-event interview or a no-assessment control group. Event interviews will measure students' perception of the event, their attributions, consequences and anticipated consequences, social network response to the event, and intentions to change. Both groups will be interviewed again three months after their events. The design represents an innovative bridging of two strong research methodologies used to investigate college drinking that will allow examination of both protective and risk factors. Resulting knowledge should inform preventive interventions.