Do Misperceptions of Peer Drinking Influence Personal Drinking Behavior? Results From a Complete Social Network of First-Year College Students

This study considered the influence of misperceptions of typical versus self-identified important peers\u27 heavy drinking on personal heavy drinking intentions and frequency utilizing data from a complete social network of college students. The study sample included data from 1,313 students (44% male, 57% White, 15% Hispanic/Latinx) collected during the fall and spring semesters of their freshman year. Students provided perceived heavy drinking frequency for a typical student peer and up to 10 identified important peers. Personal past-month heavy drinking frequency was assessed for all participants at both time points. By comparing actual with perceived heavy drinking frequencies, measures of misperceptions of heavy drinking (accurately estimate, overestimate, underestimate) were constructed for both general and important peers. These misperceptions were then used as predictors of concurrent and prospective personal heavy drinking frequency and intentions using network autocorrelation analyses. The majority of students (84.8%) overestimated, 11.3% accurately estimated, and 3.9% underestimated heavy drinking among their general peers, whereas 42.0% accurately estimated, 36.9% overestimated, and 21.1% underestimated important peers\u27 heavy drinking. For both referents, overestimation of peer heavy drinking was associated with more frequent heavy drinking and higher drinking intentions at both time points. Importantly, the effects of underestimating and overestimating close peers\u27 drinking on personal alcohol use were significant after controlling for the influence of misperceptions of general peers\u27 heavy drinking. Close peers are a critical referent group in assessments related to social norms for young adult alcohol use. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed

An Event- and Network-Level Analysis of College Students’ Maximum Drinking Day

Background—Heavy episodic drinking is common among college students and remains a serious public health issue. Previous event-level research among college students has examined behaviors and individual-level characteristics that drive consumption and related consequences but often ignores the social network of people with whom these heavy drinking episodes occur. The main aim of the current study was to investigate the network of social connections between drinkers on their heaviest drinking occasions. Methods—Sociocentric network methods were used to collect information from individuals in the first-year class (N=1342) at one university. Past-month drinkers (N=972) reported on the characteristics of their heaviest drinking occasion in the past month and indicated who else among their network ties was present during this occasion. Results—Average max drinking day indegree, or the total number of times a participant was nominated as being present on another students’ heaviest drinking occasion, was 2.50 (SD = 2.05). Network autocorrelation models indicated that max drinking day indegree (e.g., popularity on heaviest drinking occassions) and peers’ number of drinks on their own maximum drinking occasions were significantly associated with participant maximum number of drinks, after controlling for demographic variables, pregaming, and global network indegree (e.g., popularity in the entire first-year class). Conclusion—Being present at other peers’ heaviest drinking occasions is associated with greater drinking quantities on one’s own heaviest drinking occasion. These findings suggest the potential for interventions that target peer influences within close social networks of drinkers

Insomnia severity as a mediator of the association between mental health symptoms and alcohol use in young adult veterans

PurposePrior research has documented associations between mental health and alcohol use, mental health and insomnia, and insomnia and alcohol use. This study examined insomnia severity as a mediator of the association between mental health and alcohol-related outcomes in young adult veterans.ProceduresVeterans aged 18-34 years (N=622, 83% male) who reported drinking in the past year completed assessments at baseline and one-month follow-up as part of a larger intervention trial. Participants reported symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at baseline, insomnia severity at one month, and alcohol use and related consequences at baseline and one month. Mediation analyses using bootstrapped confidence intervals were used to examine the indirect effects of baseline mental health symptoms on alcohol-related outcomes at one month via insomnia severity.Main findingsInsomnia severity was associated with both drinking quantity and alcohol-related consequences. Greater depressive (but not PTSD) symptoms were associated directly with more alcohol-related consequences. Neither depressive nor PTSD symptoms had direct effects on drinking quantity when controlling for the other mental health symptoms (e.g., depressive symptoms did not predict drinking quantity when controlling for symptoms of PTSD). However, symptoms of depression and PTSD predicted drinks per week and alcohol-related consequences indirectly through insomnia severity.ConclusionsSymptoms of depression and PTSD increase risk for alcohol use and related consequences in part by increasing symptoms of insomnia. Findings suggest that insomnia may be an appropriate target for prevention and intervention efforts among heavy-drinking Veterans reporting symptoms of depression or PTSD

Two sides of one coin? Jealousy, Self-Affirmation, and Self-Defamation

Although theorists of romantic jealousy differ regarding its origins and functions, all agree that the defining feature of jealousy is a romantic triangle involving three people: the jealous person, his or her relationship partner, and a real (or imagined) relationship threat. Moreover, volumes of research support the notion that jealousy is not a one-dimensional emotion but rather a multidimensional construct involving a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Furthermore, there is extensive research indicating that there are specific behaviors a romantic partner may engage in that are likely to produce a jealousy reaction, as well as certain rival characteristics that have been found to be associated with jealousy. Studies 1 and 2 aimed to extend the study of jealousy through the use of self-affirmation theory (SAT) by using SAT manipulations to reduce jealous thoughts and behaviors. Study 1results suggest that SAT was effective at reducing jealous thoughts and behavioral intentions. Moreover, the results of study 2 replicated the findings of study 1 using an alternative affirmation, specifically SAT once again led to reductions in jealous thoughts and behavioral intentions. Additionally, study 2 expanded upon self-affirmation through examining the darker side of self-statements by examining self-defaming statements in the context of jealousy. The results suggest that self-defaming participants evidenced increases in jealous thoughts and behavioral intentions. The findings are discussed in terms of the larger theoretical relevance as well as practical applications.Psychology, Department o

The good, the bad, and the ugly of jealousy: Positive and negative jealousy in the association between problem drinking and IPV perpetration.

In the context of established associations between alcohol problems and intimate partner violence (IPV), the current study investigated whether jealousy has positive and negative dimensions, and whether they differentially moderate the association between problem drinking and IPV perpetration in heavy-drinking college students (N=448). Factor analyses suggested positive and negative dimensions of jealousy. Whereas negative jealousy was conceptualized by the traditional definition of jealousy, positive jealousy reflected relationship commitment and emotional distress upon considering one’s partner becoming romantically involved with another person. Results supported hypotheses such that positive and negative jealousy dimensions moderated the drinking problems-IPV link in opposite directions: Drinking problems were associated with increased perpetration among individuals higher in negative and lower in positive jealousy. Results provide support for the notion that jealousy is not universally negative and highlight the importance of different types of jealousy in understanding the association between alcohol problems and IPV perpetration

Positive and negative jealousy in the association between problem drinking and IPV perpetration.

In the context of established associations between alcohol problems and intimate partner violence (IPV), the current study investigated whether jealousy has positive and negative dimensions, and whether they differentially moderate the association between problem drinking and IPV perpetration in heavy-drinking college students (N=448). Factor analyses suggested positive and negative dimensions of jealousy. Whereas negative jealousy was conceptualized by the traditional definition of jealousy, positive jealousy reflected relationship commitment and emotional distress upon considering one’s partner becoming romantically involved with another person. Results supported hypotheses such that positive and negative jealousy dimensions moderated the drinking problems-IPV link in opposite directions: Drinking problems were associated with increased perpetration among individuals higher in negative and lower in positive jealousy. Results provide support for the notion that jealousy is not universally negative and highlight the importance of different types of jealousy in understanding the association between alcohol problems and IPV perpetration

Perceptions of partner drinking problems, regulation strategies, and relationship outcomes.

The current research evaluates how perceptions of one\u27s partner\u27s drinking problem relate to attempts to regulate partner behavior and relationship functioning, and whether this varies by perceptions of one\u27s own drinking. New measures are offered for Thinking about your Partner\u27s Drinking (TPD) and Partner Management Strategies (PMS). Participants included 702 undergraduates who had been in a romantic relationship for at least three months. Participants completed an online survey assessing perceptions of problematic drinking for one\u27s self and partner, ways in which attempts were made to regulate or restrain their partner\u27s drinking, relationship outcomes (i.e., satisfaction, commitment, trust, and need fulfillment), and alcohol use and consequences for self and partner. Factor analyses supported a single factor for Thinking about your Partner\u27s Drinking (TPD) and two factors for the Partner Management Strategies (PMS) scale (i.e., punishment and reward). Results using structural equation modeling indicated that perceiving one\u27s partner to have a drinking problem was associated with lower relationship functioning. Further, this association was mediated by strategies using punishment aimed at changing one\u27s partner\u27s drinking, but was not mediated by strategies using rewards. Finally, moderation results suggested that this relationship was not as detrimental for participants who perceived they also had an alcohol problem. In sum, perceiving one\u27s partner to have a drinking problem was associated with relationship problems through punishing regulation strategies, and was weaker among individuals who also perceived themselves to have a drinking problem

Regulation strategies mediate associations between heavy drinking and relationship outcomes in married couples.

Heavy drinking patterns during marriage can be problematic for both spouses and the relationship. Moreover, spouses use different strategies in an attempt to change their partner\u27s drinking behavior, which can impact the relationship in different ways. The current research examined whether associations between heavy drinking and marital adjustment are mediated by partner regulation strategies (i.e., punishment and reward). Married couples (N = 123 dyads) with at least one spouse who consumed alcohol regularly and at least one undergraduate spouse completed web-based assessments at baseline and three and six months later. Mediation hypotheses were tested using a repeated-measures version of the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model. As predicted, a significant partner effect emerged suggesting that heavy drinking was associated with greater use of punishment strategies, which were in turn associated with diminished satisfaction. Another significant partner effect revealed that heavy drinking also predicted greater use of reward strategies, which were positively associated with satisfaction. However, the magnitude of the indirect effects via punishment was more than twice as large as the mediated effect via reward. Results underscore the importance of an interdependent, dyadic perspective in understanding associations between heavy drinking and marital outcomes as well as differences between punishing and rewarding regulation strategies in these associations