The purpose of this dissertation study was to critically examine college student alcohol use in the context of the microenvironment of residence halls, the transition of the national minimum legal drinking age, and the attitudes and experiences of University of Iowa students who lived on campus from 1980 to 1995. The following research questions…

Students enter college with preconceived ideas about what their experience of college life will be like. Since the first Hollywood film about college, movies have contributed to society's perceptions of what it means to be a college student. Contrary to the images promoted by higher education marketing departments, Hollywood's portrayals…

This issue of "Issues in Prevention" focuses on the impact of the availability of drinks in licensed establishments, such as bars and taverns on student drinking. This issue contains the following articles: (1) Cheap Drinks at College Bars Can Escalate Student Drinking (John D. Clapp); (2) High Alcohol Outlet Density: A Problem for Campuses and…

The purpose of this exploratory, sequential mixed-methods study was to describe resident assistants' (RAs) perceptions of their behaviors when dealing with situations involving alcohol and underage, undergraduate resident-students. Specifically, Ajzen's (1985) Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used to analyze RAs' reports of…

In a recent study, de Araujo and Murray (2010) find empirical evidence that living on campus leads to improved student performance, finding both immediate effects (GPA improves while the student lives on campus) and permanent effects (GPA remains higher even after moving off campus). Using the same dataset, we extend the analysis to explain why…

Objective: Although previous research has suggested that college housing impacts student behavior and outcomes, recent research linking college housing to risk-taking has been limited. In this study, we investigate if patterns of risk behavior differ based on the type of college housing environment students reside in. Participants: This study…

The transition from high school to college is an important developmental milestone that holds the potential for personal growth and behavioral change. A cohort of 2,245 students was recruited during the summer before they matriculated into college and completed Internet-based surveys about their participation in a variety of behavioral risks…

This study determined the recidivism rates associated with six educational sanctions assigned after undergraduate students were found responsible for a violation of a residence hall alcohol policy at a large urban research institution. The educational sanctions selected for the study included: Personal Education, Assistance, and Referral program…

Objective: The authors tested a prototype intervention designed to deter alcohol use in residence halls. Participants: Approximately 384 freshmen participated in the study over a 2-year period. Methods: The authors devised a feedback method that assessed residents' blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at night and allowed the readings to be retrieved…

College students (n=200) in 2 university dormitories completed alcohol and drug use survey in fall quarter and 130 students were readministered questionnaire at end of spring quarter after peer-directed alcohol awareness program was implemented in a particular dormitory. Retest results showed no difference in drinking behavior of residents in…

Explores how living in a residential learning community affects drinking behaviors. Students living in three different residential learning communities were found to binge drink at significantly lower rates than did matched comparison groups who lived in another university residence hall. Further, learning community residents also suffered fewer…

Examined how resident directors (RDs) and residential assistants (RAs) defined and enforced college alcohol policy in three freshman residence halls. Findings suggest that alcohol violations vary with academic quarters, that recidivism varies with alacrity of RD sanctions, and that RAs' reporting practices vary with gender. (Author/NB)

Examined relationship between knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward alcohol among resident assistants and residence hall students at midwestern university. Found no statistically significant difference between assistants and students. Data revealed statistically significant relationship between students' knowledge, attitudes, and behavior…

This study compared differences between resident assistants (RAs) and conduct code violators in alcohol and drug knowledge, reported use, and perceptions of reasons for abuse and role of the institution. Twenty conduct code violators participated in an alcohol and drug education program and 35 RAs participated in an abbreviated program as part of…

Tested model of college drinking behavior which included alcohol expectancies, living environment, peer influence, and gender. Findings from 92 college students revealed that 3 (alcohol expectancies, social assertion, college living arrangement) of the 4 variables of the model were predictive of present alcohol use. Only gender did not…