| Abstract: | A seven-item Drinking Restraint Scale (DRS) has been developed which indicates that a style of alcohol consumption, equivalent in a number of ways to the style of food consumption termed eating restraint, may exist. Several hypothesized relationships between DRS scores and other drinking-related measures were confirmed. A restrained drinking style was associated with: more extreme patterns of alcohol consumption; a higher proportion of drinking occasions that result in intoxication; more external styles of alcohol consumption control; and more alcohol-related negative consequences. The latter three relationships were found even when heavy drinkers were excluded from the analysis, which suggests that these relationships are not dependent on a heavy drinking pattern. These findings encourage continued investigation of drinking restraint as a risk factor for developing problems with alcohol. |
