Sociodemographic, social influence, and psychological variables as predictors of alcohol-related attitudes and behaviours in a university sample.

Respondents in the current study were 183 first-year undergraduate students at the University of Windsor who participated for research credit. They answered questions about their sociodemographic characteristics, their drinking attitudes and behaviours, and their perceptions of the drinking attitudes and behaviours of peers and parents. Participants also completed several self-report measures that assessed alcohol dependence, expectancies associated with alcohol consumption, achievement anxiety, and problem-solving skills. Results indicated that sociodemographic variables account for less variance in college students\u27 alcohol consumption than social influence and psychological variables. Peer and parental attitudes toward alcohol and personal tension-reduction alcohol expectancies accounted for 56% of the variance in students\u27 attitudes toward alcohol. Living arrangements, perceived quantity of alcohol consumption by friends, and tension-reduction expectancies accounted for 61% of the variance in participants\u27 quantity of consumption. Estimated quantity of consumption by close friends, and frequency of drinking on weekends and weekdays, accounted for 68% of the variance in respondents\u27 frequency of alcohol consumption. Finally, living arrangements, estimated attitudinal ratings of mothers, estimated alcohol consumption by close friends, and tension-reduction expectancies accounted for 35% of the variance in respondents\u27 alcohol dependence. These results replicate past research that peers are more influential than parents on college students\u27 drinking behaviour. The results of the current study also support the possibility of a relationship between tension-reduction expectancies and heavier, more frequent alcohol consumption. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)Dept. of Psychology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1993 .M266. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 32-02, page: 0725. Adviser: Cheryl Thomas. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1993