Location-Specific Social Norms and Personal Approval of Alcohol Use are Associated with Drinking Behaviors in College Students

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21646260
AutoresHolly K Boyle (0000-0001-7345-3658, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA;, autor de correspondencia), Jessica E Merrill (0000-0002-8310-140X, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA;), Kate B Carey (0000-0001-7969-716X, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA;)
Año2020
Volumen55
Número10
Páginas1650-1659
Fecha de publicación2020-07-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaSubstance Use & Misuse (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1082-6084 • E-ISSN: 1532-2491
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10826084.2020.1756849
PMID32401105
OpenAlexW3024327416
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas6
Referencias citadas50

Background: Prior research on risky alcohol use points to drinking norms as predictors of drinking behavior. Most research to date has only explored global (versus context-specific) drinking norms as they relate to general drinking behavior. To better understand risky drinking behavior in students, how norms may vary across drinking environments should be considered. Objectives: We sought to explore differences in drinking norms (descriptive and injunctive), personal approval, and alcohol use across specific drinking locations and how these location-specific predictors combine to best predict alcohol consumption in home/dorm locations, bars, and parties. Methods: College student drinkers (N = 115, 76% female) participated in an anonymous online cross-sectional survey in 2015–2016 assessing personal and perceived drinking experiences and attitudes across various locations. Results: Alcohol use, descriptive norms of alcohol use, and injunctive norms of alcohol use (but not personal approval) varied across location. In addition, location-specific descriptive norms were associated with alcohol use in each drinking location, whereas location specific personal approval was associated with alcohol use only at home/dorm and bar locations. Furthermore, descriptive norms and personal approval of drinking in a given location predicted alcohol use in that same location, while norms or approval for other locations did not. Conclusion/Importance: Results highlight the importance of specificity of perceived drinking norms and personal approval for predicting location-specific alcohol use. These findings have implications for interventions, which may benefit from discussions of students’ preferred drinking locations and providing location-specific normative feedback

Descriptive statistics · Environmental health · Geography · Injury prevention · Normative · Perception · Poison control · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Social norms approach · Suicide prevention · Behavioral Health and Interventions · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Psychology · Smoking Behavior and Cessation · Social Psychology · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes