The use of choice architecture interventions to reduce alcohol consumption in bar-like settings

Abstract

Alcohol is commonly consumed despite being one of the top risk factors for disease globally. While traditional approaches to health interventions aim to change this by targeting individuals’ conscious decision-making, a complementary approach, called choice architecture, focuses on altering the environment in which drinking occurs to reach the same goal. There is a growing body of literature suggesting the benefits of choice architecture interventions in various fields, but their use in relation to alcohol remains understudied. This thesis has explored the capacity of such interventions to influence the consumption of alcohol. A pilot laboratory study with naturalistic elements was conducted to inform the design of a full-scale randomised control trial to estimate the impact of drinking position (sitting vs standing) on the rate of alcohol consumption and to determine whether it is moderated by the presence of a table. It demonstrated that with detailed planning, this manipulation can be feasibly integrated into a realistic setting. Study 2 was carried out online, and its main task was gamified to potentially improve its ecological validity and participants’ engagement. It assessed the impact of altering the proportion of alcohol-free drinks to their alcoholic counterparts, and the availability of calorie information for both types of drinks, on the selection of alcohol-free alternatives. The results provided further evidence on the effectiveness of the former, while obtaining no evidence in favour of the latter. The overall findings of this thesis suggest the feasibility and potential effectiveness of choice architecture interventions to reduce drinking, while highlighting the issues with conducting such studies in laboratory and online settings instead of a more naturalistic environment. Thus, the thesis offers insights into the role of environmental cues in shaping behaviour, but ultimately emphasises the need to clarify if these changes in behaviour can translate to the real-world consumption of alcohol.

Date of Award	23 Jan 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Olivia M Maynard (Supervisor)