Introduction to the Special Issue on College Drinking Games

Abstract

Drinking games are high-risk, social drinking activities comprised of rules that promote participants' intoxication and determine when and how much alcohol should be consumed. Despite the negative consequences associated with drinking games, this high-risk activity is common among college students, with participation rates reported at nearly 50% in some studies. Empirical research examining drinking games participation in college student populations has increased (i.e. over 40 peer-reviewed articles were published in the past decade) in response to the health risks associated with gaming and its prevalence among college students. This Special Issue of The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse seeks to advance the college drinking games literature even further by addressing understudied, innovative factors associated with the study of drinking games, including the negative consequences associated with drinking games participation; contextual, cultural, and psychological factors that may influence gaming; methodological concerns in drinking games research; and recommendations for intervention strategies. This Prologue introduces readers to each article topic-by-topic and underscores the importance of the continued study of drinking games participation among college students.

A “player’s” game? Masculinity and drinking games participation among White and Asian American male college freshmen.

“…Drinking games (DGs) are high-risk, social drinking activities that have rules designed to facilitate intoxication and involve performing some cognitive and/or motor task (Zamboanga et al, 2014). DGs are especially high-risk because, unlike other drinking activities (e.g., prepartying), DGs involve rules designed to facilitate inebriation (Zamboanga & Tomaso, 2014); these rules can be enforced by gaming participants who may specifically target certain players for intoxication (Borsari, 2004; Zamboanga et al, 2015). Moreover, it has been suggested that DGs are a male-dominated drinking activity (Pedersen & LaBrie, 2008); however, research has not yet examined the role of gender-relevant factors in DGs participation.…”

“What’s in a game?” Acculturation and drinking game behaviors among Asian American young adults.

“…Given the high-risk nature of drinking games, it is hardly surprising that scholarly attention to this activity has continued to increase in the United States (see Zamboanga & Tomaso, 2014, and Zamboanga, Olthuis, et al, 2014, for reviews) and elsewhere (e.g., Australia: Polizzotto et al, 2007; Mulligan, George, & Brown, 2016; Murugiah & Scott, 2014; United Kingdom: Moss et al, 2015). In addition, the link between acculturation and general alcohol use has garnered attention from researchers over the past several years.…”

“…These rules are what make participation in drinking games particularly risky. Indeed, given this activity’s social nature, the rules have the potential to make players feel obligated to follow them, even at the cost of consuming heavy amounts of alcohol (Zamboanga & Tomaso, 2014). Moreover, in some games, certain players may use the rules to target another participant to become especially intoxicated (cf.…”

Drinking Game Participation Among High School and Incoming College Students

“…DGs are social drinking activities designed to promote intoxication, have rules specifying when and how much players drink, and involve doing some kind of cognitive and/or motor gaming tasks (Zamboanga et al, 2013a). Compared to other high-risk drinking behaviors, like prepartying (i.e., drinking before going out to a social event or gathering; Borsari et al, 2007) and 21 st birthday celebrations (Neighbors et al, 2014), DGs are a unique high-risk activity because they are comprised of rules expressly designed to encourage drunkenness (Zamboanga & Tomaso, 2014). Participants may in turn use these rules to target specific players for their increased intoxication (Borsari, 2004; Zamboanga et al, 2015).…”