Every year, numerous college students experience negative drinking-related consequences. These consequences consist of physical assaults, blackouts, academic difficulties, and more. Some campuses have initiated harm-reduction alcohol interventions for students who violate their alcohol policies. Alcohol-related consequences do not always deter students from drinking. Some studies have hypothesized that hypothetical evaluations may have a more significant impact on a student’s future drinking. An example of a hypothetical evaluation is “How negative would this consequence be, if it happened to you.” This study aims to provide descriptive information on hypothetical evaluations of alcohol-related consequences among mandated students.
All participants were between the ages of 18 and 24, were full-time undergraduate students, and were referred to the Office of Alcohol and Other Drugs following a first-time alcohol-related policy violation. There were 474 participants in total. Students were randomly assigned to receive either a standard online alcohol- education program or the online program plus a self-affirmation writing activity. This activity aimed to increase information processing and reduce defensiveness due to the interventions of COVID-19. Demographics, alcohol use, experienced alcohol-related consequences, and hypothetical evaluations were all measured.
This study showed that hypothetical evaluations became less negative over three months. Hypothetical assessment did not significantly change between the three-month and nine-month intervals offered. It is important to note that this study’s data was collected before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that further research with a larger sample size is needed to look at how hypothetical evaluations change over time and the effects of these changes.
Takeaway: Hypothetical evaluations became less negative over time, but further research is needed to examine how hypothetical evaluations determine the effects of these changes.