Protective Behavioral Strategies as a Mediator and Moderator in Alcohol-Related Outcomes

In case you missed it, the cameras were rolling at the APS 23rd Annual Convention in Washington, DC. Watch Gabrielle D’Lima from Old Dominion University present her research on “Protective Behavioral Strategies as a Mediator and Moderator in Alcohol-Related Outcomes.”

With coauthors Matthew R. Pearson (Old Dominion University) andMichelle L. Kelley (Old Dominion University), Gabrielle D’Lima investigated the role of protective behavioral strategies as a possible mediator and moderator of the relationship between self-regulation and alcohol-related outcomes in first-year undergraduates. Self-regulation, in general, has been found to predict alcohol consequences. Protective behavioral strategies (e.g., tracking how many drinks are consumed, adding ice to drinks, alternating between alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages) are exemplary of a form of self-regulation specific to alcohol consumption and have been found to explain the relationship between general self-regulation and alcohol consequences. Further, the use of protective behavioral strategies appeared to be more important for those with poorer self-regulation abilities. The authors are currently studying whether a brief intervention based on protective behavioral strategies will impact alcohol consumption and consequences in college students.


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