Brown University research finds computer-delivered interventions have limited impact on alcohol intake
Computer-delivered interventions (CDI) are no match for old-fashioned face-to-face ones when it comes to curbing over-the-top college drinking, according to new research from Brown University.
CDIs have become a popular technique on college campuses to reach large numbers of people and according to Kate Carey, professor of behavioral and social sciences in Brown University’s Program in Public Health, are “better than nothing.” Face-to-face interventions prove more effective for results that last more than a few months, but their use is typically limited by available resources.
CDIs also tend to be more effective with men than women.
The limited effectiveness of CDIs is seen as being in part because of a computer’s inability to hold students’ attention very long, despite efforts to create interactive programs.
The latest findings, published in Clinical Psychology Review, are the result of a review of 48 other studies involving 37,000 students. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism funded the study.
Bob Brown tracks network research in his Alpha Doggs blog and Facebook page, as well on Twitter and Google +.
