Social anxiety, alcohol expectancies, and drinking-game participation

Few studies have investigated factors contributing to college student participation in drinking games. The extent to which drinking games contribute to negative alcohol-related consequences is uncertain. The current study attempted to (a) clarify the risks posed by drinking-game participation, (b) identify characteristics of heavy drinkers who play frequently and those who seldom play, and (c) determine if students participated in drinking games to reduce anxiety in social situations. Tension reduction alcohol expectancies were examined as a potential moderator variable for the relationship between social anxiety and frequency of play. Drinking games accounted for high proportions of all negative alcohol-related consequences and appeared to be strongly associated with instances of sexual victimization. Contrary to predictions based on the tension reduction hypothesis, greater frequency of play was associated with lower social anxiety, and no moderating effect was found for tension reduction expectancies. Frequent players also had more environmental exposure to drinking games. In men, heavy-drinking players may resemble Clonninger's Type 1 alcoholic, whereas heavy-drinking nonplayers resemble the Type 2 pattern. A full understanding of college student drinking behavior may not be possible without greater understanding of drinking games.