Social anxiety and drinking game behaviors among Australian university students

Abstract

Introduction: The relationship of social anxiety with alcohol use/problems has been examined among college student samples, but the relevance of findings to drinking game (DG) consumption/gaming consequences is not well understood due to a paucity of research.

Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 224 Australian university students aged 18-25 years (M_age = 20.7 years; 63% female) was utilized for analysis. Participants completed an online questionnaire which included measures of social anxiety, DG consumption, DG consequences, and motives for playing drinking games.

Results: Social anxiety was positively associated with DG consequences, but not DG consumption. However, after controlling for DG motives, social anxiety was no longer associated with DG consequences. Rather, an indirect effect of social anxiety on DG consequences via conformity DG motives was identified.

Conclusions: Our findings highlight the vulnerability of socially anxious students to experiencing greater drinking game consequences, but the importance of considering motives specific to playing DGs when examining these relationships.

Keywords: Alcohol use; Drinking games; Social anxiety; University students.