Social context, perceived norms and drinking behavior in young people

Author(s): Wolcott, B. J., Farkash, L. G. E.

Journal/Book: J Subst Abuse. 1997; 9: 100 Prospect St, PO Box 811, Stamford, CT 06904-0811. Ablex Publ Corp. 257-267.

Abstract: An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 1,253 middle school/high school students and 930 college students. The students responded to instruments assessing social context of drinking, perceived norms of drinking, alcohol use intensity. And frequencies of impaired driving (DWI) and riding with an impaired drivel (RWID). Canonical correlation analyses revealed that in middle school/high school students, there are discernable patterns of association between social conte.vt, perceived norm and alcohol abuse measures. Drinking intensity for self was closely related to several social context variables and perceptions of close friends' drinking intensity, whereas RWID and DWI frequencies for self were most strongly associated with different perceived norm variables. Among college students, findings from a canonical analysis showed that both social context and perceived norm variables were related to drinking intensity, though there were not multiple patterns of association among subsets of variables. Overall, the findings indicate that alcohol consumption has linkages to both social context and perceived norms. In contrast, DWI and RWID are closely related only to normative influences.

Note: Article Thombs DL, Kent State Univ, Dept Adult Counseling Hlth & Vocat Educ, Kent,OH 44242 USA

Keyword(s): ADOLESCENT DRINKING; SENSATION SEEKING; COLLEGE-STUDENTS; ALCOHOL-USE; ABUSE; PATTERNS; GENDER

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