Motivational structure and alcohol use of university students across four nations.
OBJECTIVE
The ability of motivational structure and other variables to predict alcohol consumption was assessed in university students (N = 370; 244 women) in the Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Norway and the United States.


METHODS
Motivational structure was assessed with the Motivational Structure Questionnaire (MSQ), which inquires about respondents' individual personal concerns in various areas of life and dimensions of their goal strivings related to the resolution of concerns. Alcohol-related problems were measured with the Short Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test.


RESULTS
Factor analysis of MSQ indices yielded a two-factor solution, one factor of which reflects an adaptive motivational structure marked by elements necessary for attaining psychologically satisfying resolutions of personal concerns. The other factor reflects a more maladaptive motivational structure marked by feelings of indifference about the achievement of personal goals. As hypothesized, MSQ Factor I was a significant inverse predictor of the amount of alcohol that students drank, but only among those who experienced alcohol-related problems.


CONCLUSIONS
The similarity in results across culturally varied samples suggests the robustness of the relationships for understanding the motivational bases for alcohol use.
Cox
W Miles
WM
School of Psychology, University of Wales, Bangor, United Kingdom. m.cox@bangor.ac.uk
Schippers
Gerard M
GM
Klinger
Eric
E
Skutle
Arvid
A
Stuchlíková
Iva
I
Man
Frantisek
F
King
Amy L
AL
Inderhaug
Ragnhild
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D018153:Czech Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012307:Risk Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology