Western University
Scholarship@Western
Undergraduate Honors eses Psychology
2014
e Effects of Drinking on University Grades:
Does Academic Motivation Play a Role?
Jennifer Gilbert
University of Western Ontario, jgilbe3@uwo.ca
Follow this and additional works at: hp://ir.lib.uwo.ca/psychd_uht
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Recommended Citation
Gilbert, Jennifer, “e Eects of Drinking on University Grades: Does Academic Motivation Play a Role?” (2014). Undergraduate
Honors eses. Paper 7.
Drinking and Academic Motivation 1
The Effects of Drinking on University Grades: Does Academic Motivation Play a
Role?
Jennifer Gilbert
Honours Psychology Thesis
Department of Psychology
University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, CANADA
April, 2014
Thesis Advisor: Paul Tremblay, Ph.D.
Drinking and Academic Motivation 2
Abstract
Past research has shown that heavy episodic drinking by college students is associated with
decreased academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to test academic motivation as a
mediator for the relationship between drinking and academic achievement. It was hypothesized
that heavy episodic drinking decreases academic motivation, which subsequently decreases
academic achievement. Four hundred and fifteen first-year students (255 female, 160 male)
completed 26 weekly online questionnaires about their drinking behaviours and academic
motivation. Academic motivation was found to mediate the drinking – achievement relationship
for mean number of drinks and heavy episodic drinking, but only for females. Also, students in
different faculties differed in their levels of drinking and academic motivation.
Drinking and Academic Motivation 3
Acknowledgment and Dedication
I would like to thank Dr. Tremblay for all of the patience, guidance, and time he
dedicated to me during this project. It was a pleasure to work with him!
Drinking and Academic Motivation 4
The Effects of Drinking on University Grades: Does Academic Motivation Play a Role?
Post-undergraduate success is becoming increasingly difficult for college students, as
competition in the workforce is fierce (Miller & Slocombe, 2012). Now more than ever,
academic achievement is important to a student’s success in many facets of post-undergraduate
life: acceptance to graduate and professional programs, career opportunities, and future earning
potential. Academic achievement can be influenced by a number of factors, and the effect of
alcohol consumption on achievement has been of particular interest to researchers. Researchers
have found an association between heavy episodic student drinking and decreased academic
achievement (Pascarella et al., 2007; Singleton, 2007; DeBerard, Spielmans, & Julka, 2004;
Porter & Pryor, 2007), with current research focused on empirically determining variables that
mediate this relationship.
A high frequency of college and university students drink regularly. In Canada, over
6000 full-time students were surveyed in 2005 using the World Health Organization’s Alcohol
Use Disorders Identification Test screener, and 32% of respondents (37.6% males, 27.5%
females) reported harmful or hazardous drinking (Adlaf, Demers, & Gliksman, 2005). In
addition, almost one-third of respondents reported heavy drinking, which, in this study, consisted
of weekly drinking, and/or consumption of six or more drinks on each occasion of drinking
(Adlaf et al., 2005). Negative consequences were reported by the students who drank: 31.6%
reported being unable to perform daily activities, 18.8% reported missing class, and 32.9%
reported study interruptions (Adlaf et al., 2005). Empirical evidence has shown a link between
heavy episodic drinking (HED) and academic achievement. In particular, students who engage
in HED tend to have decreased grades.
Drinking and Academic Motivation 5
Singleton and Wolfson (2009) tested whether sleeping patterns and daytime sleepiness
are mediating factors in the high drinking – low achievement relationship. They wanted to test
unhealthy behaviours, like unhealthy sleep patterns, because they may be linked to behavioural
consequences (Buboltz et al., 2006). They found that students who regularly drink have
interrupted sleep cycles: they go to bed late, wake up late, and experience increased daytime
sleepiness, all factors of which were found to be associated with decreased academic
performance.
Other researchers have found associations between HED in students and decreased class
attendance (Wechsler, Dowdall, Maenner, Gledhill-Hoyt, & Lee, 1998), falling behind on
readings and assignments (Wechsler et al., 1998), decreased time spent studying (Wechsler,
Dowdall, Davenport, & Castillo, 1995), and decreased interest in school (Bryant, Schulenberg,
O’Malley, Bachman, & Johnston, 2003). These variables may also contribute as mediators in the
drinking – achievement relationship because they may explain why drinking is associated with
decreased achievement.
Drinking Patterns in College Students Throughout the Academic Year
When measuring student drinking patterns, researchers generally survey students on the
volume of drinks consumed over a certain time period (e.g., one week). However, other drinking
patterns can also be assessed by the following measures: looking at the largest number of drinks
consumed at one time point in the past 30 days, or looking at HED. HED is defined as
consuming five or more drinks in a row for men, and four or more drinks in a row for women in
one time period. Researchers can also measure problem drinking by asking participants about
negative consequences experienced as a function of drinking. The present study will analyze the
mean number of drinks consumed and the prevalence of HED each week.
Drinking and Academic Motivation 6
Most research has measured student drinking patterns at one time only in the academic
year. Data collected only once may not represent the average, or normal, drinking behaviours of
students. Perhaps during the data collection period students had a celebratory event, or were
sick, and their levels of drinking were higher or lower than their typical levels on a week-to–
week basis. Tremblay et al. (2010) conducted a longitudinal study and measured student
drinking patterns throughout the academic year to obtain a more precise measure of student
drinking behaviours. Additionally, this longitudinal study offered insight into gender differences
and similarities, HED, and patterns of daily and weekly drinking behaviour throughout the year.
A weekly online survey was administered to first-year students and 26 weeks of data were
obtained regarding their drinking behaviours.
