The Shuffleboard Game: Investigating Group Drinking, Mood, and Risky Behavior

Objective: Existing research examining how social forces and alcohol interact to impact risky behaviors has yielded contrasting findings, possibly due to the nature and variety of risk-taking tasks used and the failure to consider the role of emotion. Using a novel risk task, akin to real-world drinking games, this study examines the effect of intoxication and group contexts on risk-taking, considering mediating effects of mood. Method: One hundred thirty-two social drinkers (83 females) consumed an alcoholic (0.8 g/kg) or placebo beverage before participating in the shuffleboard game (designed to mimic real drinking games) either individually (N = 66) or in the presence of two friends (N = 66). Mood was assessed before and after beverage consumption. Results: When controlling for group identity, intoxication (vs. placebo) was associated with significantly higher risk-taking, although there was no impact of group context. No interaction between context and intoxication was observed, and mood did not mediate this relationship. Conclusions: Intoxication increases risk-taking behavior regardless of whether an individual is in a group, or isolated, whereas groups do not appear to enhance risky behavior. Previous evidence of an effect of groups on risk-taking may have been due to a failure to control for the effect of group identity. To reduce risky behaviors, interventions may benefit from targeting alcohol use while considering how preexisting social norms within a friendship group may either mitigate or exacerbate risk. Results affirm the importance of considering both intoxication and group effects on affective states when investigating risk-taking behaviors. Highlights and Implications * Alcohol consumption increases physical risk-taking in a novel shuffleboard game. * Individuals do not always behave riskier in groups of friends, when accounting for differences in group identity. * Intoxication and group contexts influence affective states, although mood does not mediate the relationship between alcohol consumption, group contexts, and individual risk-taking. * As the effect of alcohol on individual risk-taking remains irrespective of group context, it is important for intervention efforts to consider the role of intoxication when targeting risky behaviors. * When seeking to understand alcohol consumption and risk-taking in social settings, the complexities of social groups, including preexisting norms and identities, need to be accounted for.