Running head: ALCOHOL EDUCATION 1

Research

Curriculum Infusion and Alcohol Usage

One study, “Evaluating the Impact of Curriculum Infusion on US College Students'

Alcohol Use and Academic Performance,” focused on integrating preventative and “protective

behavioral strategies related to alcohol consumption” (Samuolis et al., 2016) into the curriculum

for two classrooms, one as a research group and one as a control group. Students were a mean

age of 19 years old and there were 215 students who participated in this study. Evaluation of

curriculum infusion, as well as data collection, occurred through a posttest only design. Safe

consumption strategies were integrated through classwork and assignments, and interventions

were coordinated between faculty members and the college’s wellness staff. At the end of the

study, the researchers concluded that this curriculum infusion technique did not significantly

impact students’ alcohol usage (Samuolis et al., 2016).

Implications. The above mentioned study indicates that alcohol education, when

integrated into required courses for psychology majors or minors, is not significantly effective in

decreasing alcohol consumption or convincing students to practice safe consumption strategies.

Additionally, students’ perception of alcohol consumption did not significantly decrease between

the CI group and the control group. Furthermore, in the CI group there was a higher percentage

of female students and was mainly comprised of first and second year students (Samuolis et. al,

2016). Hence, the study corroborates with the operational definition of incoming students. Thus,

though students received a CI on alcohol education, the study did not positively or negatively

affect incoming students who participated in this study.

Perceptions of Binge Drinking

As indicated thus far in the paper, perceptions of binge drinking is a theme commonly
conveyed to students enrolled in colleges and universities. In this study particularly, the
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researchers focus on the students’ perceptions of binge drinking, specifically regarding

themselves and their peers. All surveyed students were enrolled in a first year Health and
Wellness class. Student participants answered a variety of quantitative and qualitative data
questions regarding their use and perceptions of alcohol. From their responses, the researchers
separated students into two categories: binge drinkers or non-binge drinkers. The researchers
operationally defined binge drinkers as “Males who have consumed 5 or more drinks per
drinking occasion and females who have consumed 4 or more drinks per drinking occasion”
(Wrye & Pruitt, 2017).
Implications. Qualitative data in this study presented the idea of unclaimed responsibility
among the participants. Most students who participated in binge drinking behaviors also
“perceived that their peers consumed more alcohol than they did” (Wrye & Pruitt, 2017). A
direct result of this unclaimed responsibility is the idea of social justification, as seen in the
aforementioned quote. Many students also see drinking as a normative behavior and expectancy
of college, and thereby are more likely to disregard this type of behavior when it occurs.
Additionally, peer pressure played a role in the responses of some participants. Social groups and
expectations are formative steps in college, as well external pressures that students face. These
pressures can lead to student participation in binge drinking, which many participants identified
as having the potential to negatively affect personal health, academics, and decision-making
abilities (Wrye & Pruitt, 2017).

Perceptions of Drinking

Effectiveness of Alcohol Education

Timing
Curriculum Infusion
Online Education

Solutions
One idea to revamp the current alcohol education system is to alter and restructure the
educational framework. In general, during their lifetime, most individuals will consume an
alcoholic beverage. Providing students with accurate information regarding alcohol and its
consumption is crucial to the success of alcohol education. Currently, students tend to be highly
skeptical of the information they are given regarding alcohol, so providing accurate information
and acknowledging their roles and intelligence are integrative to reforming educative practices.
Reframing the idea that drinking is bad and that it should never occur is, more than likely, the
first step. Current educational programs use the technique of preventative strategies, rather than
accepting that drinking, at this point, is an integrated part of Western culture. Instead of focusing
on alcohol as a terrible societal influencer, educative programs need to accept alcohol as a
cultural norm and place an emphasis on the negatives of alcohol abuse. To be effective, alcohol
integration must not be left up to school systems. Alternatively, parents or caretakers must be
tasked with integrating conversations/lessons and conversing with their children on the effects of
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alcohol. Modeling positive behaviors and situations for alcohol consumption helps to reverse the
stigmatization of the demonization of alcohol consumption (Hanson, 2015). In summary,
recognizing the capabilities and intelligence of students, as well as providing accurate
information and role modeling from a young age in addition to recognizing responsible use are
all strategies that have the potential to increase the effectiveness of alcohol education.

Appendix A