Life goals and alcohol use among first-year college students: The role of motives to limit drinking

The main objective of the present study was to advance our understanding of how life goals are associated with hazardous alcohol use among first-year university students. One-hundred and seventeen students rated a series of self-generated life goals on meaning and efficacy and then completed alcohol assessments. Higher goal meaning ratings were associated with less alcohol use and fewer heavy drinking episodes. Tests of indirect effects showed that the associations between goal meaning ratings and alcohol use indices were mediated by motives to limit drinking, particularly the motive to maintain self-control/standards. These results replicate and extend previous work on goal meaning and hazardous drinking among students. Findings are consistent with the view that engagement in university life goals may serve as a protective factor against hazardous drinking among first-year students due to greater concern with the impact of drinking on their ability to attain goal standards.

► We extend previous work on life goals and alcohol use in college students.
► Higher meaning in life goals is associated with less risky alcohol use.
► More reasons to limit alcohol use are related to less alcohol involvement.
► Self-control reasons for limiting mediate the goal meaning and alcohol relationship.
► These findings highlight the importance of non-alcohol activities for students.