Date of Award
8-2002
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. R. Wayne Fuqua
Second Advisor
Dr. Alan Poling
Third Advisor
Dr. Suzan Olson
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Given the high rates of alcohol use and abuse among adolescents in our society, it is not surprising that drinking and driving is also relatively common. This paper starts with a summary of national statistics, which is followed by a critical review of previous interventions. The purpose of this project was to attempt to find an effective drinking and driving intervention for high school students which was relatively inexpensive, less time intensive than past interventions and required little or no training for the facilitator to present. Two related intervention conditions (a video only intervention and a slightly more extensive package intervention) were compared to a no intervention control. Participants included 116 high school students (M age = 16.95 years) in three different high schools in the Southwest Michigan area. Assessment of the impact of the two intervention programs did not produce detectable decrements in drinking and driving. Various reasons for the absence of experimental effects are discussed, as well as directions for future research.
Recommended Citation
Fields, Emalee M., "Adolescent Drinking and Driving: A Descriptive and Intervention Study" (2002). Masters Theses. 4056.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/4056