A Q-Methodology Approach to Understanding Group Perceptions of Drinking Environments and Drinking Behaviour.

Psychological behaviour change theories aimed at preventing alcohol misuse view intentions as the best predictor of behaviour, based on the idea that cognition, or processes within the brain, guide behaviour. However, these theories have been found to be lacking, and intentions have been found to be fairly poor predictors of behaviour. Instead of explaining behaviour in terms of brain functioning and putting the brain before behaviour, an ecological approach to cognition places the level of explanation at the interplay of brain, body and world. Meaning exists at the relation of an organism to its environment, as suggested by the affordance construct. Affordances represent possibilities for action which humans are able to utilise, for instance, certain objects are graspable and individuals can be spoken-to. During stage 1 of this research programme, a non-participant observational study illustrated potential affordances for promoting or inhibiting alcohol consumption within UK licensed premises, from an independent observer’s perspective. During stage 2, a photo-elicitation interview approach uncovered the individual subjectivity, or meaning that exists at the relation of young adults to their drinking environments. A combination of these findings provided a varied concourse of statements relating to alcohol-related affordances for a Q-methodology study. Forty participants ranked sixty statements along a symmetrical grid with ‘strongly disagree’ at one end and ‘strongly agree’ at the other, based on their perceptions of their drinking behaviours in relation to their drinking environments. A preliminary factor analysis of these rankings and post-sort interviews has uncovered factors highlighting patterns of meaning for groups in relation to drinking environments and drinking behavior. A focus will be on the conceptual and methodological challenges for this research, including the implications this research has for methods, theory, policy and subsequent research.