Citation

Zamboanga BL, Newins AR, Olthuis JV, Merrill JE, Blumenthal H, Kim SY, Grigsby TJ, McClain P, McChargue D, Cano M. Alcohol Alcohol. 2024; 59(3): agae027.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/alcalc/agae027

PMID

38685066

Abstract

AIM: Participating in a drinking game (DG) is common practice among university students and can increase students' risk for heavy drinking. Given the theoretical link between motivations to drink and alcohol use, careful consideration should be given to students' motivations to play DGs. In this study, we examined the factor structure, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of a revised version of the motives for playing drinking games (MPDG) scale, the MPDG-33.

METHODS: University students (n = 3345, Mage = 19.77 years, SDage = 1.53; 68.8% = women; 59.6% = White) from 12 U.S. universities completed a confidential online self-report survey that included the MPDG-33 and questions regarding their frequency of DG participation and typical drink consumption while playing DGs.

RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the 7-factor model fit the data adequately, and all items had statistically significant factor loadings on their predicted factor. All subscales had adequate to excellent internal consistency and were positively correlated with the frequency of DG participation and the typical number of drinks consumed while playing DGs (though the correlations were small).

CONCLUSION: Findings suggest that the MPDG-33 can be reliably used in research and clinical settings to assess U.S. university students' motives for playing DGs.

Language: en

Keywords

*Alcohol Drinking in College/psychology; *Motivation; *Students/psychology; Adolescent; Adult; Alcohol Drinking/psychology/epidemiology; drinking game motives; drinking games; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; Humans; Male; Reproducibility of Results; Self Report; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States; Universities; university students; Young Adult