Why Do University Students From Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina Play Drinking Games? A Mixed-Method Cross-Country Study

Byron L. Zamboanga, Kayla Ford, Amanda M. George, Miller Bacon, Janine V. Olthuis, Robert E. Wickham, Angelina Pilatti, Kathryne Van Hedger, Emma Dresler

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Qualitative work suggests that young people’s motives for playing drinking games (DGs) extend beyond those assessed in the Motives for Playing Drinking Games (MPDG) measure. Using a mixed-methods approach, we tested whether the 7-factor model of the MPDG would emerge among university students from Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina, and whether their open-ended responses regarding their reasons for playing would map onto the MPDG subscales. Students (N = 895; ages = 18–30 yrs) completed the MPDG-33 measure and an open-ended-question regarding their reasons for playing DGs. We found support for the 7-factor model of the MPDG among students across sites. Open-ended responses revealed that students were motivated to play for a variety of reasons, some of which overlapped with the MPDG subscales while others did not. We present a conceptual model that considers motives specific to alcohol consumption in the context of a DG and reasons/possible motives for playing a DG given its specific features.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)29-40
Number of pages12
JournalEmerging Adulthood
Volume12
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2024

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