Behavioral Intentions and Blood Alcohol Concentration: A Relationship for Prevention Intervention

• NCJ Number: 167132
• Journal: Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education Volume: 41 Issue: 2 Dated: (Winter 1996) Pages: 120-134
• Author(s): K E Glindemann; E S Geller; T D Ludwig
• Date Published: 1996
• Length: 15 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health and Human Services
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC

Annotation

Relationships between individual intentions to drink and actual alcohol consumption were systematically examined, based on the measurement of alcohol impairment with breathalyzers at two university-sanctioned fraternity parties.

Abstract

For the first experiment, 24 male university students of legal drinking age were tracked through all research phases. The correlation between subject estimations of blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and actual BAC was 0.54 for BAC estimations made 1 week before the party, and 0.63 for BAC estimations made on the night of the party. For the second experiment, 43 university students (29 men and 14 women) were tracked through all research phases. The correlation between subject estimations of BAC made on the night of the party and actual BAC reached 0.53. The correlation between subject estimations of the quantity of alcohol beverages they intended to consume on the night of the party and actual BAC reached 0.57. These correlations were notably higher for men than for women. Implications of the findings for the development of interventions to prevent alcohol abuse and alcohol-impaired driving are discussed. 18 references, 2 tables, and 3 figures