Overestimation of close friend drinking problems in the prediction of one's own drinking problems.
Overestimation of the amount that other students drink is related to alcohol-related problems. Although beliefs concerning students' friends tend to be stronger predictors of drinking than beliefs regarding students generally, little research has focused on overestimation of friends' drinking-related problems.



Test hypotheses that students overestimate a close friend's drinking-related problems and that such overestimation would relate to more frequent drinking and related problems.



Participant/Friend pairs (N=55) completed online measures of drinking-related beliefs and behaviors.



Participants overestimated the alcohol-related problem severity experienced by their friends. Greater overestimation of friends' problems was related to greater participant alcohol-related problems and binge drinking.



Cognitive distortions regarding a friend's drinking-related behaviors may be useful therapeutic targets.
Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, 236 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA; VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT 06516, USA. Electronic address: tecker2@tigers.lsu.edu.
Anthony H
AH
Ecker
Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, 236 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA. Electronic address: acohen@lsu.edu.
Alex S
AS
Cohen
Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, 236 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA. Electronic address: jbuckner@lsu.edu.
Julia D
JD
Buckner
D000328:Adult; D000067292:Alcohol Drinking in College / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
Alcohol-related problems; College drinking; Drinking motives; Perceived norms