Imitation of alcohol consumption in same-sex and other-sex dyads.
OBJECTIVE
Being exposed to other people's drinking behavior has been demonstrated to influence individual's drinking levels. Imitation of alcohol consumption has mainly been investigated among same-sex drinking partners. This study examined whether imitation of alcohol consumption differs when people drink with same-sex or other-sex partners.


METHODS
To test the imitation effects, a two (drinking condition: alcohol versus no alcohol) by two (sex constellation of dyad: same-sex versus other-sex) mixed between-within subject design was used. In two separate sessions situated in a naturalistic drinking setting (i.e., a bar laboratory), 66 participants were exposed to a same-sex and an other-sex model (i.e., a confederate) who consumed either alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. We expected that men would imitate more when drinking with women and men, and that women would imitate less when drinking with men.


RESULTS
Imitation of alcohol consumption did not differ when participants were drinking with same-sex partners compared with other-sex partners. No gender differences in imitation were found.


CONCLUSIONS
Imitation of alcohol consumption can be generalized to situations in which people drink with other-sex partners. Men and women seem to imitate regardless of their drinking partner's sex.
Larsen
Helle
H
Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. h.larsen@pwo.ru.nl
Overbeek
Geertjan
G
Granic
Isabela
I
Engels
Rutger C M E
RC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007100:Imitative Behavior; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult