Fitting in and feeling fine: conformity and coping motives as mediators of the relationship between social anxiety and problematic drinking.
The present research was conducted to clarify the relationships among social anxiety, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and negative-reinforcement drinking motives among college students. Heavy drinking students (N = 316, 53.80% female) completed self-report measures of social anxiety, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and drinking motives. Findings indicated that students higher in social anxiety consumed less alcohol but experienced more negative consequences. Moreover, the relationship between social anxiety and negative consequences was mediated by coping and conformity drinking motives in addition to alcohol consumption. In the context of social anxiety, the current research demonstrates the importance of examining problematic drinking as distinct constructs: alcohol consumption and negative consequences. Findings are also discussed in terms of implications for interventions with socially anxious students.
Lewis
Melissa A
MA
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle 98105-6099, USA. lewisma@u.washington.edu
Hove
M Christina
MC
Whiteside
Ursula
U
Lee
Christine M
CM
Kirkeby
Benjamin S
BS
Oster-Aaland
Laura
L
Neighbors
Clayton
C
Larimer
Mary E
ME
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010379:Peer Group; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012919:Social Behavior; D012925:Social Conformity; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data