title: Personality and alcohol-related outcomes among mandated college students: descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and college-related alcohol beliefs as mediators.
abstract: The present study examined three alcohol-perception variables (descriptive norms, injunctive norms, and college-related alcohol beliefs) as mediators of the predictive effects of four personality traits (impulsivity, sensation seeking, anxiety sensitivity, and hopelessness) on alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences in a sample of mandated college students (n=875). Our findings replicated several findings of a previous study of incoming freshman college students (Hustad et al., in press) in that impulsivity and hopelessness had direct effects on alcohol-related problems, sensation seeking and impulsivity had indirect effects on alcohol-related outcomes via college-related alcohol beliefs, and college-related alcohol beliefs predicted both alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. We discuss the implications of our findings for global college student interventions as well as personality-targeted interventions.
authors.affiliation: Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions, University of New Mexico, 2650 Yale Boulevard, SE, MSC11-6280, Albuquerque, NM 87106, United States. Electronic address: mateo.pearson@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.affiliation: Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Mail Code A210, 600 Centerview Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
authors.forename: John T P
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Hustad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D010465:Perception; D010551:Personality; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol beliefs; Alcohol use; Descriptive norms; Injunctive norms; Mandated college students; Personality