The purpose of this study was to develop a new measure of incidental behaviors that put college students at increased risk of legal consequences while using alcohol, the Legal Risk Behaviors while using Alcohol (LRBA) scale. Two hundred and twenty one college students who used alcohol were recruited to complete an online study about their use of alcohol, specific behaviors engaged in while using alcohol, and associated consequences. Analyses revealed that the 19-item LRBA consisted of three factors - “Risky Behaviors,” “Protective Behaviors,” and “Private Settings.” Analyses suggested that the LRBA had adequate test-retest reliability and internal consistency. Initial results indicate that the LRBA may be a useful measure to help us better understand what behaviors college student engage in that increase their risk for experiencing a legal encounter.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
HingsonR. W.HeerenT.ZakocsR. C.KopsteinA., and WechslerH., Magnitude of Alcohol-related Mortality and Morbidity Among U. S. College Students Ages 18–24. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 63, pp. 136–144, 2002.
2.
PerkinsH. W., Surveying the damage: A review of research on consequences of alcohol misuse in college populations. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 14, pp. 91–100, 2002.
3.
EngsR. C.DieboldB. A., and HansonD. J., The drinking patterns and problems of a national sample of college students, 1994. Journal of Alcohol & Drug Education, 41, pp. 13–33, 1996.
4.
Engs RCHD. J., Boozing and Brawling on Campus: A National Study of Violent Problems Associated with Drinking Over the Past Decade. Journal of Criminal Justice, 22, pp. 171–180, 1994.
5.
C'de BacaJ.MillerW. R., and LaphamS., A Multiple Risk Factor Approach for Predicting DWI Recidivism, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 21, pp. 207–215, 2001.
6.
McCartyD. A., Rearrest Following Residential Treatment for Repeat Offender Drunken Drivers, Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 49, pp. 1–6, 1986.
7.
PiqueroA. P., An Application of Stafford and War's Reconceptualization of Deterrence to Drinking and Driving, Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 39, pp. 153–186, 1998.
8.
MaddockJ. E.LaforgeR. G.RossiJ. S., and O'HareT. T., The College Alcohol Problems Scale, Addictive Behaviors, 26, pp. 385–398, 2001.
9.
DimeffL. A.BaerJ. S.KivlahanD. R., and MarlattG. A., Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS): A Harm Reduction Approach, Guilford Press, New York,, 1999.
10.
GoughH. G., Theory, Development, and Interpretation of the CPI Socialization Scale, Psychological Reports, 75, pp. 651–700, 1994.
11.
EdelmannR. J., and VivianS. E., Further Analysis of the Social Psychopathy Scale, Personality & Individual Differences, 9, pp. 581–587, 1988.
12.
Gomã-i-FreixanetM., Prosocial and Antisocial Aspects of Personality, Personality & Individual Differences, 19, pp. 125–134, 1995.
13.
EysenckS. B.PearsonP. R.EastingG. and AllsoppJ. F., Age Norms for Impulsiveness, Venturesomeness and Empathy in Adults, Personality & Individual Differences, 6, pp. 613–619, 1985.
14.
ReynoldsW. M., Development of Reliable and Valid Short Forms of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, Journal of Clinical Psychology, 38, pp. 119–125, 1982.
15.
PaulhusD. L., Measurement and Control of Response Bias, in Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes, RobinsonJ. P. and ShaverP. R. (eds.), Academic Press, Inc., San Diego, California, pp. 17–59, 1991.
16.
KulickD. and RosenbergH., Assessment of University Students' Coping Strategies and Reasons for Driving in High-risk Drinking-driving Situations, Accident Analysis and Prevention, 32, pp. 85–94, 2000.
17.
TabachnickL. S., Using Multivariate Statistics (3rd ed.), HarperCollins, New York, 1996.
18.
RussellD. W., In Search of Underlying Dimensions: The Use (and Abuse) of Factor Analysis in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, pp. 1629–1646, 2002.
19.
GriceJ. W., Computing and Evaluating Factor Scores, Psychological Methods, 6, pp. 430–450, 2001.
20.
CronbachL. J., Coefficient Alpha and the Internal Structure of Tests, Psychometrika, 16, pp. 297–334, 1951.
21.
AnastasiA., Psychological Testing (6th ed.), Macmillan Publishing Co, Inc., New York, 1988.
22.
DelvaJ.SmithM. P.HowellR. L.HarrisonD. F.WilkeD., and JacksonD. L., A Study of the Relationship between Protective Behaviors and Drinking Consequences Among Undergraduate College Students, Journal American College Health, 53, pp. 19–26, 2004.
23.
WechslerH.KuoM.LeeH., and DowdallG. W., Environmental Correlates of Underage Alcohol Use and Related Problems of College Students, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 19, pp. 24–29, 2000.
24.
MartensM. P.TaylorK. K.DamannK. M.PageJ. C.MowryE. S., and CiminiM. D., Protective Behavioral Strategies When Drinking Alcohol and Their Relationship to Negative Alcohol-Related Consequences in College Students, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 18, pp. 390–393, 2004.
25.
KivlahanD. R.MarlattG. A.FrommeK., and CoppelD. B., Secondary Prevention with College Drinkers: Evaluation of an Alcohol Skills Training Program, Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 58, pp. 805–810, 1990.
