2021

Cooke, Richard; Conroy, Dominic; Hagger, Martin S.

This chapter provides an overview of how psychological theories of motivation and self-regulation have been applied to inform interventions aimed at reducing alcohol consumption. Such interventions target change in modifiable motivational and self-regulatory determinants of excessive alcohol consumption. Psychological theories have guided identification of these determinants and helped to inform interventions designed to reduce excessive alcohol consumption patterns such as heavy episodic drinking. In this chapter we review theories that have identified determinants of excessive alcohol consumption, particularly heavy episodic drinking, and provided targets for interventions. We review evidence for the effectiveness of motivational and self-regulatory interventions in isolation (and combination) as techniques to reduce alcohol consumption.