Validation of a Seven-Factor Structure for the Motives for Playing Drinking Games Measure

Authors

Byron L. Zamboanga, Smith College
Shannon Audley, Smith CollegeFollow
Janine V. Olthuis, University of New Brunswick
Heidemarie Blumenthal, University of North Texas
Cara C. Tomaso, Smith College
Ngoc Bui, University of La Verne
Brian Borsari, San Francisco VA Health Care System

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1-2019

Publication Title

Assessment

Abstract

Playing drinking games can be characterized as a high-risk drinking activity because games are typically designed to promote heavy alcohol consumption. While research suggests that young adults are motivated to play drinking games for a variety of reasons (e.g., for thrills/fun, for the competition), the Motives for Playing Drinking Games measure has received limited empirical attention. We examined the psychometric properties of this measure with a confirmation sample of young adults recruited from Amazon’s MTurk (N = 1,809, ages 18-25 years, 47% men; 41% not currently enrolled in college) and a validation sample of college students (N = 671; ages 18-23 years; 26% men). Contrary to the 8-factor model obtained by Johnson and Sheets in a study published in 2004, examination of the factor structure with our confirmation sample yielded a revised 7-factor model that was invariant across race/ethnicity and college student status. This model was also validated with the college student sample. In the confirmation sample, enhancement/thrills and sexual pursuit motives for playing drinking games were positively associated with gaming frequency/consumption and negative gaming consequences. Furthermore, conformity motives for playing drinking games were positively associated with negative gaming consequences, while competition motives were positively associated with gaming frequency. These findings have significant implications for research and prevention/intervention efforts.

Keywords

alcohol use, drinking games, drinking motives, MTurk

Volume

26

Issue

4

First Page

582

Last Page

603

DOI

10.1177/1073191117701191

ISSN

10731911

Rights

© The authors

Comments

Peer reviewed accepted manuscript.

Recommended Citation

Zamboanga, Byron L.; Audley, Shannon; Olthuis, Janine V.; Blumenthal, Heidemarie; Tomaso, Cara C.; Bui, Ngoc; and Borsari, Brian, "Validation of a Seven-Factor Structure for the Motives for Playing Drinking Games Measure" (2019). Education and Child Study: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/edc_facpubs/9