Academic constraints on alcohol consumption in college students: a behavioral economic analysis

Behavioral economic analyses recently have been extended to alcohol drinking among college students. The current study used a hypothetical alcohol purchase task (APT) to assess the effects of academic constraints (next-day class time and next-day class requirement) on alcohol demand among college students. Participants were asked to read a description of a drinking scenario and indicate how many standard drinks they would consume at a variety of prices. In Experiment 1, 164 participants (71% female) were randomly assigned to one of three "academic constraint" conditions, for which the scenario included a next-day class that differed by scheduled time (8:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m., or 12:30 p.m.), or a control condition (no next-day class). Exponential demand analyses revealed that participants in all three of the academic constraint conditions reported fewer drinks consumed and displayed lower "essential value" of alcohol, or greater sensitivity to price increases, compared with the no-constraint control. In Experiment 2, 66 participants (80.3% female) were randomly divided into four groups and received one of four versions of the APT, manipulated to examine class time and class requirement (8:30 a.m. class, 8:30 a.m. exam, 12:30 p.m. class, 12:30 p.m. exam). Exponential demand analyses revealed that the essential value of alcohol was lower for the two 8:30 a.m. conditions compared with the 12:30 p.m. conditions and was lowest for participants in the 8:30 a.m. exam condition compared with the other three. These results suggest that academic requirements may reduce alcohol demand among college students.