Expressing discrepancies between religious affiliations and drinking reduces drinking intentions.

The majority of young adults express a religious affiliation. Most widely-practiced religions have some proscriptions against excessive drinking and/or drunkenness. Yet many religious college students engage in drinking in excess of these proscriptions, albeit at lower levels than non-religious students. At present, virtually no empirically-evaluated brief interventions in this population have directly incorporated religious affiliation. Objective The present study evaluated an expressive writing intervention that elicits awareness and expression of discrepancy between religious affiliation and drinking behaviors, especially for students expressing moderate to high subjective religiousness and drinking levels. We expected discrepancy to result in lower drinking intentions. Method Undergraduate students (N=344) were randomly assigned to a 2 (priming: religious affiliation vs. college major) X 2 (comparison of current drinking with: religious affiliation vs. college major) expressive writing design in which those in the experimental condition were asked to describe how their current drinking fit with their religious affiliation. Results Writing about the fit between current drinking and one's religious affiliation (versus college major) was associated with expressing more discrepancy, which was, in turn, associated with intentions to reduce drinking. No effects were found for priming, nor for the interaction between priming and comparison. Subjective religiousness and current drinking were evaluated as moderators of the indirect effect of comparing one's current drinking and religious affiliation on future drinking intentions through expressed discrepancy. The effect of comparison on discrepancy was stronger at higher levels of subjective religiousness. The association between discrepancy and intentions to reduce drinking was stronger for heavier drinkers, especially when also accompanied by higher subjective religiousness. Conclusion Results provide preliminary support for a novel intervention strategy with the potential to reduce drinking in a significant proportion of students that has previously received little consideration.