Background
Undergraduates with higher levels of social anxiety may be motivated
to participate in high-risk drinking events (e.g., playing drinking games [DG])
as a way to “fit in” or facilitate socialization with peers),
putting them at an elevated risk of experiencing alcohol-related negative
consequences (e.g., blacking out). The present study sought to test associations
between social anxiety symptoms, DG behaviors and consequences, and DG-specific
motives among a large, multisite sample of undergraduates.
Methods
Participants were 7,528 undergraduate students who endorsed current
(past month) drinking. Participants completed a cross-sectional, self-report
survey that included measures of DG behaviors, DG motives, and DG negative
consequences as part of a large, multisite observational study.
Results
Consistent with prior work, social anxiety symptoms were negatively
associated with lifetime history of DG participation. Among participants who
endorsed playing DG in the past 30 days, social anxiety was not associated with
DG frequency or quantity, but it was positively associated with all DG motives
and cumulative negative DG consequences.
Conclusions
Although undergraduates with higher social anxiety levels were less
likely to participate in DGs than those with lower social anxiety levels, among
undergraduates who chose to participate in DGs, social anxiety was positively
associated with multiple motivations to play DGs and alcohol-related
consequences as a result of playing DGs.