Motivation and Information: Altering Drinkers' Behavior

描述(由申请人提供)：血液酒精浓度(BAC)通常被用作损害和与健康相关的风险的指标，通常是酒后驾车法律中规定的衡量标准。然而，大多数司机对BAC概念的理解有限，无法准确估计他们的BAC水平。此外，试图通过提供抽象的警告或提供具体的BAC反馈信息来告知饮酒者大量饮酒的风险，通常并没有显著减少饮酒量。以信息为基础的减少酒精危害的方法可能达不到其预期目标，因为受众没有动力去理解或内化所提供的信息。大量关于说服和信息处理的实证文献强调了动机变量在理解信息效果方面的重要性。然而，描述风险信息如何导致行为变化的理论模型并没有充分纳入激励因素。 这项拟议的研究利用了一个机会，向自然饮酒环境中的饮酒者插入信息和动机干预，并测量由此产生的饮酒行为的客观变化。本研究的目的是考察在不同的动机条件下，向参与者提供警告信息和特定的BAC信息对饮酒的影响。这项研究还将检查可能缓和干预效果的个人人口统计和动机变量。参与者在饮酒前将被抽样，并为他们提供不同的动机指导和信息工具。一些人将收到关于高BAC水平的风险的抽象警告；另一些人将收到一个工具，允许他们估计自己的BAC水平；其他人将得到指示或激励，要求他们使用提供的信息和工具来调节他们的BAC水平。参与者从墨西哥酒吧回来时将被重新抽样，届时将测量他们的实际BAC水平。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) often are used as indicators of impairment and health-related risk and are usually the specified measure in drinking-and-driving laws. Yet, most drivers have limited understanding of the BAC concept and an inability to estimate their BAC levels inaccurately. Further, attempts to inform drinkers about the risks of heavy drinking - either through providing abstract warnings or through providing specific BAC feedback information - generally have not produced significant reductions in alcohol consumption. Information-based approaches to alcohol harm reduction may fall short of their intended goal because the audiences are not motivated to comprehend or to internalize the information presented. A broad empirical literature on persuasion and information processing underscores the importance of motivational variables in understanding the effects of information. However, theoretical models that describe how risk information should lead to behavioral change have not adequately incorporated motivational elements. The proposed research exploits an opportunity to interject informational and motivational interventions to drinkers in a natural drinking environment and to measure objective changes in the resultant drinking behaviors. The aims of this research are to investigate the effect on drinking of providing warning information and specific BAC information to participants under different motivational conditions. The research also will examine individual demographics and motivational variables that might moderate the effects of the interventions. Participants will be sampled before they drink and provided with varying motivational instruction and informational tools. Some will receive an abstract warning about the risks of high-BAC levels; others will receive a tool that allows them to estimate their BAC levels; and others will be given instructions or incentives to use the information and tools provided to regulate their BAC levels. Participants will be re-sampled as they return from Mexican bars, at which time their actual BAC levels will be measured.