Reasons students give for limiting drinking: a factor analysis with implications for research and practice.

Dimensions of cognitions associated with self-regulation of alcohol consumption were studied using a 22-item Reasons for Limiting Drinking (RLD) scale in a student survey of nine universities. Data on 2,482 drinkers were factor analyzed using several methods in split halves and the total sample. Four interpretable factors accounting for 39% of the common variance were consistently found. Based on core content, these subjective motivational factors were labeled self-control, upbringing, self-reform and performance. Reliability analysis was used to construct subscales to assess these factors. Subscales had adequate internal reliability (alphas = .66-.73) for brief research scales. Relationships between the RLD subscales and between these subscales and selected demographic, alcohol-consumption and problem indicators are summarized. Based on these results and an application in a prevention experiment with heavily drinking students, the niche for such "reasons" measures in participant screening and program evaluation is discussed.