Drinking Like Everyone Else: Trait Self-Control Moderates the Association Between Peer and Personal Heavy Episodic Drinking. (16th April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Robinson, Eric; Jones, Andrew; Christiansen, Paul; Field, Matt
• Is Part Of: Substance use & misuse. Volume 50:Number 5(2015)
• Page Start: 590
• Page End: 597
• Publication Date: 2015-04-16
• Subjects: Narcotic habit -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; Substance abuse -- Periodicals; Behavior, Addictive -- Periodicals; Sustance-Related Disorders -- Periodicals; 362.2905
• DOI: 10.3109/10826084.2014.991407
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1082-6084

Abstract

<abstract> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p> <italic>Background</italic>: Alcohol consumption often appears to be under social influence. However, we know relatively little about whether some people are particularly likely to exhibit similar drinking patterns to their peers. <italic>Objectives</italic>: Here we tested the extent to which trait social approval concerns and trait self-control are associated with the likelihood that individuals display similar heavy episodic drinking patterns to their peers. <italic>Method</italic>: One thousand and fifty-six young adults participated in an online study. We measured trait social approval concerns (the Need to Belong scale) and trait self-control (the Self-Control scale) alongside personal heavy episodic drinking and perceptions of peer heavy episodic drinking. <italic>Results</italic>: Beliefs that one's peers (other students) drank heavily were associated with heavier personal episodic drinking. This relationship was moderated by trait self-control: The correlation between personal heavy episodic drinking and perceived peer drinking was much stronger in those with low self-control compared with those with high self-control. Contrary to hypotheses, trait social approval concerns did not moderate the relationship between perceived peer drinking and personal heavy episodic drinking. <italic>Conclusions</italic>: Social norms about drinking could act as a form of informational cue for one's own alcohol consumption, but the extent to which individuals follow or override this cue may depend on individual differences in self-control.</p> </abstract>