"Identity (Change) is Not a Joke, Jim!": The Role of Change in Responsible Drinking Identity on Behavioral Change in College Alcohol Interventions

Identity has long fascinated humans, and recent research has explored its role in behavioral change. Identity change may explain why some behavioral interventions are more effective than others. This dissertation examined this idea within the context of college student alcohol interventions. While numerous interventions exist for college students, only some appear to yield long-term effects. It was hypothesized that the key differentiator in effectiveness is how an intervention reshapes an individual’s responsible drinking identity. Participants (71.93% White, 59.40% Female) from a Southeastern university were randomly assigned to one of four intervention conditions: Deviance Regulation Theory (DRT), Personalized Normative Feedback (BASICS), DRT+ (a combination of the two interventions), or an active control condition. Participants were assessed weekly for four weeks and then longitudinally followed up at 12- and 26-week post-intervention. RESULTS: The results suggest that the responsible drinking identity grew in all intervention conditions relative to the control condition. However, only immediate changes were seen in the DRT and DRT+ groups, relative to the control. DRT+ and BASICS did not experience any decay in identity; however, DRT experienced a slight yet significant decay. Importantly, changes in identity were associated with changes in protective behavioral strategies (PBS) and alcohol consumption. In the final week of the study, an indirect effect emerged: DRT+ → responsible drinking identity → alcohol consumption → alcohol-related consequences. Identity was directly associated with PBS use and alcohol consumption, though PBS use was insignificant in the model. Identity and identity change play a crucial role in behavioral interventions. This study contributes to the growing literature on integrating identity into behavioral change frameworks.