Gender differences in drinking restraint

Objective: This study examines the factor structure and the predictive powe r of drinking restraint for men and women as measured by the Temptation and Restraint Inventory (TRI). The TRI assesses two factors: Cognitive-Emotion al Preoccupation (CEP) and Cognitive-Behavioral Control (CBC). Method: A gr oup of 418 drinkers was drawn from a university sample and divided by gende r into two groups. Men (n = 122) were of a mean age (+/-SD) of 23 +/- 7 yea rs; women (n = 296) were of a mean age of 22.5 +/- 8 years. Subjects comple ted the TRI and the Alcohol Dependence Scale (ADS) and validated quantity a nd frequency of drinking indices. Results: Drinking restraint for the men w as found to better predict alcohol dependence, quantity of drinking and fre quency of drinking. Moreover, two factors confirming the TRI's CEP and CBC model were extracted for the men, but only one factor was extracted for the women. Conclusions: It was proposed that, as men tend to drink greater amo unts of alcohol more often, they have learned to distinguish more clearly t he conflicts in their personal control over drinking. If the TRI is to be u sed as a diagnostic and treatment tool, it is recommended that clinicians b e cognizant of possible gender differences in restrained drinking behavior.