College student drinking, attitudes toward risks, and drinking consequences.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether college students' attitudes toward risks explain significant variance in drinking consequences beyond gender, alcohol use, and self-protective strategies.


METHODS
A derivation sample (N=276; 52% women) and a replication sample (N=216; 52% women) of undergraduate students completed the Campus Alcohol Survey (CAS) and the Attitudes Toward Risks Scale (ATRS).


RESULTS
Scores on the ATRS correlated positively with students' self-reported typical number of drinks and negative drinking consequences (p<.001). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that ATRS scores explained significant variance in negative drinking consequences beyond college students' gender, typical number of drinks, and use of protective strategies (p<.001). Furthermore, a significant Drinks x ATRS interaction revealed that heavy-drinking students who scored high on the ATRS experienced the most harm from drinking (p<.01). Students with high-risk attitudes showed a stronger link between typical number of drinks and negative drinking consequences.


CONCLUSIONS
Even when controlling for students' gender, alcohol use, and protective strategies, college students' attitudes toward risks explain significant variance in drinking consequences.
Benton
Stephen L
SL
Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas 66506-5312, USA. leroy@ksu.edu
Benton
Sherry A
SA
Downey
Ronald G
RG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*