title: Motivational structure and alcohol use of university students across four nations.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Wales, Bangor, United Kingdom. m.cox@bangor.ac.uk
authors.forename: W Miles
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: Gerard M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Schippers
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Klinger
authors.forename: Arvid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skutle
authors.forename: Iva
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stuchlíková
authors.forename: Frantisek
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Man
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Ragnhild
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Inderhaug
mesh_terms: 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