Assessment of the Psychometric Properties of the Drinking Motives Questionnaire – Revised Among Irish Drinkers

Abstract. Motives ascribed to drinking represent an important area of investigation in alcohol research. The most commonly used measure is the 20-item Drinking Motives Questionnaire – Revised (DMQ-R: Cooper, 1994), which assesses four motives: Enhancement, Social, Coping, and Conformity. Although researchers in Europe have begun to assess the DMQ-R, to date, no published assessment has been undertaken among English-speaking, non-American samples. The current study addressed this omission by conducting exploratory (N = 437) and confirmatory (Ns = 437 and 344) factor analyses with Irish participants. A three-factor solution was optimal: Coping (four items), Conformity (five items), and Positive Motives (seven items). The need to conduct culturally specific psychometric testing is discussed as are directions for future research.