Fitting In and Feeling Fine: Conformity and Coping Motives as Mediators of the Relationship Between Social Anxiety and Problematic Drinking

The present research was conducted to clarify the relationships among social anxiety, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and negative-reinforcement drinking motives among college students. Heavy drinking students ( N = 316, 53.80% female) completed self-report measures of social anxiety,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology of addictive behaviors 2008-03, Vol.22 (1), p.58-67
Main Authors: Lewis, Melissa A, Hove, M. Christina, Whiteside, Ursula, Lee, Christine M, Kirkeby, Benjamin S, Oster-Aaland, Laura, Neighbors, Clayton, Larimer, Mary E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Addictive behaviors
Adolescent
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Affect
Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology
Alcohol related problems
Alcohol Use
Alcohol-Related Disorders - epidemiology
Alcoholism
Anxiety disorders. Neuroses
Biological and medical sciences
College Students
Conformity
Conformity (Personality)
Consequences
Coping Behavior
Female
Human
Humans
Incidence
Male
Medical sciences
Motivation
Negative events
Peer Group
Phobia
Phobic Disorders - epidemiology
Phobic Disorders - psychology
Prevalence
Problem drinking
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Severity of Illness Index
Social Anxiety
Social Behavior
Social Conformity
Social Environment
Students - statistics & numerical data
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Summary:The present research was conducted to clarify the relationships among social anxiety, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and negative-reinforcement drinking motives among college students. Heavy drinking students ( N = 316, 53.80% female) completed self-report measures of social anxiety, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and drinking motives. Findings indicated that students higher in social anxiety consumed less alcohol but experienced more negative consequences. Moreover, the relationship between social anxiety and negative consequences was mediated by coping and conformity drinking motives in addition to alcohol consumption. In the context of social anxiety, the current research demonstrates the importance of examining problematic drinking as distinct constructs: alcohol consumption and negative consequences. Findings are also discussed in terms of implications for interventions with socially anxious students.
ISSN:0893-164X
1939-1501
DOI:10.1037/0893-164X.22.1.58