A comprehensive examination of motivational profiles for alcohol-related behaviors among college students

Abstract

Recent research demonstrates unique relations of types of motivation for drinking responsibly based on self-determination theory and drinking motives with alcohol-related outcomes among college students. In the present study, we sought to extend prior research by using a person-centered approach to simultaneously consider types of motivation within and across these motivational constructs as well as their synergistic relations with alcohol-related outcomes. We used cross-sectional survey data from 2,808 college students at 10 universities in eight states across the United States who reported past-month alcohol use (M_age = 20.59, SD = 4.18; 72.9% female; 58.2% non-Hispanic White). A series of latent profile analyses were conducted using types of motivation for drinking responsibly and drinking motives as indicators. A five-profile solution was selected as optimal. Mean comparisons indicated that profiles defined by high endorsement of higher quality motivations for drinking responsibly (i.e., more self-determined) and low endorsement of drinking motives in combination were related to the most frequent protective behavioral strategies use, least alcohol use, and fewest negative alcohol-related consequences. Additionally, these profiles were higher on dispositional autonomy and psychological need satisfaction and lower on psychological need frustration. These findings provide initial insight into simultaneously considering motivational profiles for the interrelated behaviors of drinking responsibly and drinking that can be leveraged in college drinking interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Figure 1.

Standardized means on self-determination theory motivations for drinking responsibly and drinking motives across the five latent profiles.