ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: In reviewing research on college students' intervention practices in alcohol-related situations, Seibold and Thomas recently advanced a transactional influence reconceptualization of intervention episodes. This study sought to explicate the factors contributing to college students' decision to intervene or not to intervene in alcohol-related situations. METHOD: In order to empirically explore this area, 489 students from three U.S. universities were surveyed about factors affecting their decisions to intervene or not in two types of alcohol-related situations: a drunk-driving situation and an alcohol abuse situation. RESULTS: Students' intervention decisions were motivated primarily by concerns for the target and for potential consequences if they did not intervene. In contrast, decisions not to intervene were motivated primarily by an absence of a strong relationship with the target, their own condition at the time, and the potential impact of the intervention attempt on their image. Gender differences moderated many of these findings, however. CONCLUSIONS: Results are discussed in terms of approaching the study of alcohol interventions from a transactional influence perspective.
Subject(s)
Alcoholic Intoxication/psychology , Automobile Driving/psychology , Social Perception , Social Responsibility , Students/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Decision Making , Female , Humans , Individuality , Interpersonal Relations , Male , Morals , Personality Inventory , Self ConceptSubject(s)
Hospices , Hospital Volunteers/psychology , Motivation , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Personal Satisfaction , Personnel Turnover , Social Support , WorkforceABSTRACT
Following a review of health information campaign issues and research on the efficacy of selected communication channels, this paper reports an investigation of a specific medium--a health information newsletter--including whether and how much of it recipients read, its perceived information value, its impact on self-reported actions, its comparative role as a source of health information, and the extent to which results vary with selected characteristics of recipients who responded to a mail survey (n = 887). Results indicate that the newsletter is read and utilized by most recipients and serves for many as a major source of health information. Moreover, there is evidence of direct and indirect newsletter effects on respondents' self-reported health practices. Findings varied significantly with the sex and health professional status of recipients.
