College students' decisions to intervene in alcohol-related situations.
OBJECTIVE
In reviewing research on college students' intervention practices in alcohol-related situations, Seibold and Thomas recently advanced a transactional influence reconceptualization of intervention episodes. This study sought to explicate the factors contributing to college students' decision to intervene or not to intervene in alcohol-related situations.


METHODS
In order to empirically explore this area, 489 students from three U.S. universities were surveyed about factors affecting their decisions to intervene or not in two types of alcohol-related situations: a drunk-driving situation and an alcohol abuse situation.


RESULTS
Students' intervention decisions were motivated primarily by concerns for the target and for potential consequences if they did not intervene. In contrast, decisions not to intervene were motivated primarily by an absence of a strong relationship with the target, their own condition at the time, and the potential impact of the intervention attempt on their image. Gender differences moderated many of these findings, however.


CONCLUSIONS
Results are discussed in terms of approaching the study of alcohol interventions from a transactional influence perspective.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000523:psychology*; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009014:Morals; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012649:Self Concept; D012938:Social Perception; D012941:Social Responsibility; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*