Alcohol Consumption Among University Students: A Multi-Country Study of Attitudes, Values, Identity, and Consumer Influence

ABSTRACT

This multi-country study examines differences in attitudes toward drinking among university students in Canada, Australia, Norway, and Korea. In addition, the relationships between attitudes toward drinking and personal values, social identity, and social influence are examined. Results showed that Koreans had the most favorable attitudes toward drinking, and males in all four countries had more positive attitudes toward drinking than females. In addition, students with more favorable attitudes toward drinking placed a higher importance on interpersonal values and a lower importance on internal and external values, compared to students with less favorable attitudes toward drinking. Furthermore, students with more favorable attitudes toward drinking were more susceptible to interpersonal influence than students with less favorable attitudes toward drinking. Contrary to expectations, students with less favorable attitudes toward drinking placed a higher importance on social identity than students with more favorable attitudes toward drinking. Implications for alcohol awareness programs at universities are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcohol
• values
• list of values
• consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence
• social influence
• social identity
• cross-cultural