Abstract
Aims
To investigate the impact of alcohol consumption on risk decisions taken both individually and while part of a 4-6 person ad-hoc group.
Design
2 (Alcohol: consuming vs. not consuming alcohol) x 2 (Decision: individual, group) mixed model design, Decision was a repeated measure. The dependent variable was risk preference, measured using choice dilemmas.
Setting
Opportunity sampling in campus bars and a music event at a campus-based university in the United Kingdom.
Participants
(N = 101) were recruited from groups of 4 to 6 people who either were or were not consuming alcohol.
Measurements
Participants privately opted for a level of risk in response to a choice dilemma and then, as a group, responded to a second choice dilemma. The choice dilemmas asked participants the level of accident risk at which they would recommend someone could drive while intoxicated.
Findings
Five 3-level multilevel models were specified in the software program HLM 7. Decisions made in groups were less risky than those made individually (B = -0.73, p < .001). Individual alcohol consumers opted for higher risk than non-consumers (B = 1.27, p = .025). A significant alcohol by decision interaction (B = -2.79, p = .001), showed that individual consumers privately opted for higher risk than non-consumers whereas risk judgments made in groups of either consumers or non-consumers were lower. Decisions made by groups of consumers were less risky than those made by groups of non-consumers (B = 1.23, p < .001).
Conclusions
Moderate alcohol consumption appears to produce a propensity among individuals towards increased risk taking in deciding to drive while intoxicated, which can be mitigated by group monitoring processes within small (4-6 person) groups.
To investigate the impact of alcohol consumption on risk decisions taken both individually and while part of a 4-6 person ad-hoc group.
Design
2 (Alcohol: consuming vs. not consuming alcohol) x 2 (Decision: individual, group) mixed model design, Decision was a repeated measure. The dependent variable was risk preference, measured using choice dilemmas.
Setting
Opportunity sampling in campus bars and a music event at a campus-based university in the United Kingdom.
Participants
(N = 101) were recruited from groups of 4 to 6 people who either were or were not consuming alcohol.
Measurements
Participants privately opted for a level of risk in response to a choice dilemma and then, as a group, responded to a second choice dilemma. The choice dilemmas asked participants the level of accident risk at which they would recommend someone could drive while intoxicated.
Findings
Five 3-level multilevel models were specified in the software program HLM 7. Decisions made in groups were less risky than those made individually (B = -0.73, p < .001). Individual alcohol consumers opted for higher risk than non-consumers (B = 1.27, p = .025). A significant alcohol by decision interaction (B = -2.79, p = .001), showed that individual consumers privately opted for higher risk than non-consumers whereas risk judgments made in groups of either consumers or non-consumers were lower. Decisions made by groups of consumers were less risky than those made by groups of non-consumers (B = 1.23, p < .001).
Conclusions
Moderate alcohol consumption appears to produce a propensity among individuals towards increased risk taking in deciding to drive while intoxicated, which can be mitigated by group monitoring processes within small (4-6 person) groups.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 913–921 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Addiction |
Volume | 109 |
Issue number | 6 |
Early online date | 5 Feb 2014 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jun 2014 |
Keywords
- Alcohol
- decision making
- field study
- groups
- group processes
- multi-level model
- risk
- social drinking
Profiles
-
Rose Meleady
- School of Psychology - Professor of Psychology
- Centre for Behavioural and Experimental Social Science - Member
- Cognition, Action and Perception - Member
- Social Cognition Research Group - Member
Person: Research Group Member, Academic, Teaching & Research