Reducing College Student Drinking by Integrating Self-Affirmation and Implementation Intentions

Two hundred and ninety-three college students who reported drinking in the past month were randomly assigned to condition in a 2 (self-affirmation: values vs. control writing task) x 2 (implementation intentions: formed vs. not formed) between-subjects factorial design. Participants first completed a self-affirmation or control writing task, then read an article describing the risks of drinking. Next, all participants reported their common drinking behaviors and contexts, and then selected two harm-reduction strategies making either general intentions to use the strategies or making implementation intentions to use the strategies. Alcohol consumption was measured 1 and 2 weeks after the experimental session.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Alcohol Drinking
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: SA and II; Behavioral: SA and No II; Behavioral: No SA and II; Behavioral: No SA and No II

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 293
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Must have reported drinking at least 1 drink in the last 30 days at time of first participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: SA and II; Combined self-affirmation and implementations intention arm	Behavioral: SA and II; Self affirmation intervention where participants rank 11 values, then write about why their top ranked value is important AND Implementation intentions intervention where participants form two implementation intentions (If/then) statements regarding drinking behavior and write why these are important
Experimental: SA and No II; Self-affirmation and control intentions condition	Behavioral: SA and No II; Self affirmation intervention where participants rank 11 values, then write about why their top ranked value is important AND No implementation intentions intervention where participants write why selected health strategies are important (and do nothing else)
Experimental: No SA and II; Implementation intentions intervention and control writing task	Behavioral: No SA and II; Control writing intervention where participants rank 11 values, then write about why their 10th ranked value is important to someone else AND Implementation intentions intervention where participants form two implementation intentions (If/then) statements regarding drinking behavior and write why these are important
Experimental: No SA and No II; Control writing task and control intentions condition	Behavioral: No SA and No II; Control writing intervention where participants rank 11 values, then write about why their 10th ranked value is important to someone else AND No implementation intentions intervention where participants write why selected health strategies are important (and do nothing else)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Alcohol consumption	Number of standard drinks consumed in the past week	Past week drinking

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of California, Santa Barbara

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Ehret PJ, Sherman DK. Integrating Self-Affirmation and Implementation Intentions: Effects on College Student Drinking. Ann Behav Med. 2018 Jul 13;52(8):633-644. doi: 10.1093/abm/kax032.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: March 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): June 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 4, 2016
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 4, 2016
• First Posted (Estimate): October 6, 2016

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): November 3, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 2, 2016
• Last Verified: November 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Drinking Behavior; Alcohol Drinking
• Other Study ID Numbers: 38150394

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO