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Social skills, expectancies, and drinking in adolescents
L R Gaffney1, K Thorpe, R Young
1Faculty of Arts, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia. l.gaffney@mailbox.uq.edu.au
Addictive Behaviors
|October 13, 1998
Summary
Adolescent alcohol involvement is linked to poor social skills and positive alcohol expectancies. The interaction between social skills and expectancies significantly predicts teenage drinking behavior, informing prevention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Adolescent Health
- Substance Use Research
Background:
- Previous research indicates links between social skills, alcohol expectancies, and teenage drinking.
- Understanding predictive factors is crucial for effective intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the predictive power of social skills, cognitive structures, and alcohol expectancies on teenage drinking behavior.
- To explore the combined influence of these factors on adolescent alcohol involvement.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 732 adolescents on social skills, cognitive structures, and alcohol expectancies.
- Analyzed data to identify predictors of high versus low alcohol involvement.
Main Results:
- Adolescent alcohol involvement correlated with deficits in social skills and positive alcohol expectancies.
- Negative cognitive structures regarding parents and teachers were also associated with higher alcohol use.
- Social skills and expectancies independently explained most drinking behavior variance.
- The interaction between social skills and expectancies significantly predicted additional variance.
Conclusions:
- Social skills deficits and positive alcohol expectancies are key indicators of adolescent alcohol involvement.
- The interplay between social skills and expectancies offers a more nuanced understanding of teenage drinking.
- Findings support the development of integrated preventive and treatment programs targeting these factors.