Perceived Approval of Friends and Parents as Mediators of the Relationship Between Self-Determination and Drinking

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Objective: Within the context of self-determination theory, individuals vary in the extent to which they are oriented toward autonomy and control. Previous research on the relationship between motivational orientations and drinking behavior among college students has suggested that students who are more autonomously oriented consume less alcohol whereas those who are more control oriented consume more alcohol. This research evaluated the extent to which these relationships are mediated by the perceived approval of friends and parents, both of which are important sources of potential infl uence on the behavior of college students. Method: First-year students (N = 818, 58% female) who reported one or more heavy drinking episodes in the previous month completed online assessments of their drinking behavior, autonomous and controlled orientations, and perceptions of the approval of drinking (injunctive norms) by important others (friends and parents). Results: The results suggested that controlled orientation was associated with greater alcohol use and that this association was mediated by perceptions of friends being more approving of problematic drinking. In contrast, autonomous orientation was associated with less alcohol use and this association was mediated by perceptions of friends being less supportive of problematic drinking. No support was found for perceptions of parents' approval as a mediator of the associations between either orientation and drinking. Conclusions: The fi ndings highlight the importance of perceptions of friends' approval or disapproval of problematic drinking in understanding the relationship between self-determination and heavy drinking among college students. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 70: 92-100, 2009) A LCOHOL USE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES is both prevalent and harmful. According to a recent national survey, almost 82% of full-time college students reported having used alcohol within the past year (Johnston et al., 2007). Although most college students drink occasionally, a substantial portion of them report drinking to excess. Johnston and colleagues (2007) found that 40% of college students reported consuming fi ve or more drinks in a row in the past 2 weeks, relative to 35% of their noncollege bound peers. This is particularly concerning given the range of negative outcomes associated with heavy-episodic drinking, which includes physical injuries, sexual assaults, legal problems, dependence issues, and death (Hingson et al., 2005;Hingson et al., 2002;Knight et al., 2002;Perkins, 2002b). Self-determination theory and alcohol useTo minimize harmful drinking and related consequences among college students, it is important to understand what motivates the initiation and maintenance of drinking behavior in this population. Self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985) uses a general motivational framework to explain both the initiation and regulation of behavior and has been studied in relation to a number of risk behaviors, including eating disorders (e.g., Bergstrom et al

The Enduring Impact of Parents’ Monitoring, Warmth, Expectancies, and Alcohol Use on Their Children’s Future Binge Drinking and Arrests: a Longitudinal Analysis

“…SDT is a motivational model of social development used to understand behavioral instigation and regulation (Chawla et al 2009; Wormington et al 2011). It posits that people have innate psychological needs for autonomy and freedom to explore, grow, and endorse behaviors.…”

“…Intrinsic motivation concerns behaviors freely chosen and pleasurable in their own right. It is associated with an autonomy orientation and predicts positive substance-related outcomes, such as abstinence or low alcohol consumption among adolescents (Wormington et al 2011) and college students (Chawla et al 2009). Extrinsic motivation is associated with the external behavioral regulation.…”

“…It is related to a control orientation, leading individuals to feel impelled to take a given course of action. This motivation is linked with drinking and alcohol-related consequences (Chawla et al 2009; Wormington et al 2011) and can result in external forms of regulation. Extrinsically motivated individuals consume alcohol to establish a sense of autonomy or reduce stress from external sources.…”

Partying Before the Party Gets Started: The Effects of Descriptive Norms on Pregaming Behavior

“…The reasons for these gender differences are not well understood, but some investigators point to women's greater attention to interpersonal relations and greater concern to maintain harmonious relationships (LaBrie, Cail, Hummer, Lac, & Neighbors, 2009). Indeed, studies find that students' perception of their friends' approval or disapproval can be a strong predictor of drinking behavior (Chawla, Neighbors, Logan, Lewis, & Fossos, 2009). It may also be the case that the injunctive norms for drinking are less clear for women than they are for men (Suls & Green, 2003).…”

Social–Contextual Factors Associated with Alcohol Use among Adolescents of Traditional Alcohol User and Nonuser Ethnic Groups of Nepal

“…Adolescents learn alcohol use behavior through social learning process from others (Brown, Catalano, Fleming, Haggerty, & Abbott, 2005), such as parents (Brown, et al, 2005;Chassin, 1996) and peers (Chawla, Neighbors, Logan, Lewis, & Fossos, 2009;Curran, Stice, & Chassin, 1997). Furthermore, contextual factors such as availability of alcohol products can also play an important role in alcohol use (Komro, Maldonado-Molina, Tobler, Bonds, & Muller, 2007).…”