title: Drinking like everyone else: trait self-control moderates the association between peer and personal heavy episodic drinking.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol consumption often appears to be under social influence. However, we know relatively little about whether some people are particularly likely to exhibit similar drinking patterns to their peers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Here we tested the extent to which trait social approval concerns and trait self-control are associated with the likelihood that individuals display similar heavy episodic drinking patterns to their peers.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand and fifty-six young adults participated in an online study. We measured trait social approval concerns (the Need to Belong scale) and trait self-control (the Self-Control scale) alongside personal heavy episodic drinking and perceptions of peer heavy episodic drinking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Beliefs that one's peers (other students) drank heavily were associated with heavier personal episodic drinking. This relationship was moderated by trait self-control: The correlation between personal heavy episodic drinking and perceived peer drinking was much stronger in those with low self-control compared with those with high self-control. Contrary to hypotheses, trait social approval concerns did not moderate the relationship between perceived peer drinking and personal heavy episodic drinking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Social norms about drinking could act as a form of informational cue for one's own alcohol consumption, but the extent to which individuals follow or override this cue may depend on individual differences in self-control.
authors.affiliation: University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building , Liverpool L69 7ZA , UK.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Christiansen
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Field
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000067292:Alcohol Drinking in College / Q000523:psychology*; D063425:Binge Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010551:Personality; D000068356:Self-Control; D012925:Social Conformity; D012931:Social Environment; D066262:Social Norms; D013334:Students; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: alcohol consumption; self-control; social influence; social norms