Understanding the Association Between Relative Sociability Prototypes and University Students' Drinking Intention

ABSTRACT

Background: Evaluations of “the prototypical nondrinker” and of “the prototypical regular drinker” have been demonstrated to hold associations with more harmful drinking behavior, yet the extent to which the relative evaluation of these prototypes is associated with drinking intention remains to be tested. Objectives: To explore whether relatively unfavorable nondrinker prototypes are associated with increased drinking intention and whether this relationship is moderated by personality variables. Methods: Among a student sample (n = 543), alcohol-related sociability prototype measures were used to compute an index of the perceived sociability of regular drinkers relative to nondrinkers (“relative sociability prototypes”). Measures of drinking intention, conscientiousness, extraversion and sensation seeking impulsivity were also taken. Results: Most students perceived the prototypical nondrinker unfavorably relative to the prototypical regular drinker (91%, n = 493). Simple slopes analyses indicated that extraversion moderated the strength of the relationship between relative sociability prototypes and drinking intention such that relatively negative evaluations of nondrinkers were only associated with increased intention to get drunk among more extraverted students. Conclusions/Importance: Prospective data and behavioral measures are needed to substantiate these findings, which suggest links between relative evaluations of nondrinkers, harmful drinking intention and personality traits. Evidence suggests that by challenging prejudicial beliefs concerning nondrinkers (as “unsociable”) and by targeting more extraverted students, safer drinking plans might be encouraged.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol
• personality traits
• prototypes
• moderation
• university students

Funding

The research reported in this paper was part-funded by an Economic and Social Research Council Studentship (budget code ES/J500173/1).