Social Anxiety, Drinking Game Motives, and Drinking Game Outcomes Among a Large Multisite Sample of University Students

Undergraduates with higher levels of social anxiety may be motivatedto 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 negativeconsequences (e.g., blacking out). The present study sought to test associationsbetween social anxiety symptoms, DG behaviors and consequences, and DG-specificmotives among a large, multisite sample of undergraduates.

Participants were 7,528 undergraduate students who endorsed current(past month) drinking. Participants completed a cross-sectional, self-reportsurvey that included measures of DG behaviors, DG motives, and DG negativeconsequences as part of a large, multisite observational study.

Consistent with prior work, social anxiety symptoms were negativelyassociated with lifetime history of DG participation. Among participants whoendorsed playing DG in the past 30 days, social anxiety was not associated withDG frequency or quantity, but it was positively associated with all DG motivesand cumulative negative DG consequences.

Although undergraduates with higher social anxiety levels were lesslikely to participate in DGs than those with lower social anxiety levels, amongundergraduates who chose to participate in DGs, social anxiety was positivelyassociated with multiple motivations to play DGs and alcohol-relatedconsequences as a result of playing DGs.