Psychological Reporfs, 1990, 67, 1273-1274.
O Psychological Reports 1990
PARENTAL VERSUS PEER INFLUENCE ON ADOLESCENTS' ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ' WAYNE MITIC Dalhousie University Summary.-We surveyed 1128 students from Grades 7 through 12 on their average alcohol consumption. Students' drinking behaviors were categorized into four groups: only with parents, never with parents, and also for those who drank with and without parents, their consumption when parents were present and when parents were not present. Adolescents drink less in the presence of parents. However, when parents are not present, adolescents who never drink with their parents drink less than those who drink with and without their parents. The relative influence of parents and peers on alcohol use by adolescents has long been an interest of researchers attempting to explain adolescents' drug-using behavior from socialization and social learning perspectives (Needle, McCubbin, Wilson, Reineck, Lazar, & Mederer, 1986). Jessor and Jessor (1975) conceptualized youthful drinking as learned social behavior that is part of the adolescent socialization process, anticipatory of the transition from childhood to adult scams. Central to the Social Learning Theory is that ". . . behavior depends upon one's associates and the relative reinforcement exerted by those associates" (Sheppard, 1987). The former process implies that youth model their own behaviors by observing and replicating behaviors of significant others, while the latter process of reinforcement entails that adolescents internalize and demonstrate approved behaviors of significant others (Kandel, 1980). Drinking behavior, according to the Social Control Theory, is influenced by which significant other dominates, parents or peers. We examined the quantity of alcohol reported as consumed by adolescents who: drank o d y with their parents, never drank with their parents, and also those who drank both with and without parents when parents were present and when parents were not present. Method The sample consisted of 1128 students, 579 boys and 549 girls in Senior I-J~gh(Grades 10, 11, and 12) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A systematic sampling procedure was used mvolving a random start, followed by the selection of every fifth class on a master List obtained from the school board. Given the constant selection ratio, the sample is self-weighting. The questionnaire was based on Smart's (1985) guidelines for the development of adolescent drug-use surveys. Second-year university students were trained to administer the questionnaire on an assigned day. Teachers were not present during the completion of the survey, and students' responses were anonymous. Results Table 1 presents the mean number of drinks consumed in four circumstances by grade and sex of respondent. "Only, with" signifies students who only consume in the presence of parents, while "Only, without" represents those who never drink with parents, but do consume in other settings. "Both, with" represents the quantity consumed when parents are present, wtule "Both, without" signifies the quantity consumed when parents are absent for those students who drink with and without their parents. 'Address correspondence to Wayne m t i c , Ed.D., Health Education Division, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 3J5.
Students in junior and senior years, respectively, who drink "Only with" their parents consume, on average, less than 1 drink and 1 to 1.5 drinks per occasion. Students who drink when their parents are present and in other situations as well (Both, with) report slightly higher mean consumption with parents than the "Only, with" group. Among those who drink with and without their parents, mean consumption when parents are not present (Both, without) are higher for boys and girls among junior and senior students than that of their peers in the "Only, without" group. TABLE 1 MEANNUMBEROF DRINKSCONSUMED WITHAND WITHOUTPARENTS Drinking Category
Junior Boys
M Only, with Only, without Both, with Both, without n
SD 0.3 2.1 0.9 2.9
0.7 4.0 1.9 4.2 282
Senior Girls M SD 0.9 0.4 3.0 1.7 1.1 0.6 4.5 2.7 268
Boys M SD 0.7 0.3 5.2 3.3 1.7 0.9 5.9 3.1 297
Girls
M
SD
0.4 3.8 1.4 3.9
0.2 1.9 0.5 1.7 281
Implications Parental influence appears to aid establishment of low-level drinking, likely to occur during meals and special occasions. Alternatively, peers tend to encourage the consumption of greater quantities of alcohol, thereby predisposing the adolescent to possible misuse. Parents who introduce their teenagers to alcohol at home in an attempt to prepare them for responsible use during adulthood, while reducing teenage consumption in their presence probably do not effect reduction in consumption when they are not present. Consumption rates are even greater among this group than among those teenagers who do not drink with parental guidance. REFERENCES JESSOR,R., & JESSOR,S. L. (1975) Adolescent development vs the onset of drinking: a longitudinal study. Quarterly Journal of Studies in Alcohol, 36, 27-51. KANDEL,D. B. (1980) Drug and drinking behavior among youth. Annual Review of Sociology, 6, 235-285. NEEDLE,R., MCCUBBM, H., WILSON,M., REINECK,R., LAZARA,, & MEDERER,H. (1986) Interpersonal influences in adolescent drug use-the role of older siblings, parents and peers. International Journal of the Addictions, 21, 739-766. SIIEPPARD, M. A. (1987) Peers or parents: who has the most influence on cannabis use? Journal of Drug Education, 17, 123-128. SMART, R. (1985) Guidelines for the developmenf of Canadian surveys of alcohol and drug me among students. Ottawa: Health and Welfare Canada. Accepted December 1 1 , 1990.
O Psychological Reports 1990
PARENTAL VERSUS PEER INFLUENCE ON ADOLESCENTS' ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ' WAYNE MITIC Dalhousie University Summary.-We surveyed 1128 students from Grades 7 through 12 on their average alcohol consumption. Students' drinking behaviors were categorized into four groups: only with parents, never with parents, and also for those who drank with and without parents, their consumption when parents were present and when parents were not present. Adolescents drink less in the presence of parents. However, when parents are not present, adolescents who never drink with their parents drink less than those who drink with and without their parents. The relative influence of parents and peers on alcohol use by adolescents has long been an interest of researchers attempting to explain adolescents' drug-using behavior from socialization and social learning perspectives (Needle, McCubbin, Wilson, Reineck, Lazar, & Mederer, 1986). Jessor and Jessor (1975) conceptualized youthful drinking as learned social behavior that is part of the adolescent socialization process, anticipatory of the transition from childhood to adult scams. Central to the Social Learning Theory is that ". . . behavior depends upon one's associates and the relative reinforcement exerted by those associates" (Sheppard, 1987). The former process implies that youth model their own behaviors by observing and replicating behaviors of significant others, while the latter process of reinforcement entails that adolescents internalize and demonstrate approved behaviors of significant others (Kandel, 1980). Drinking behavior, according to the Social Control Theory, is influenced by which significant other dominates, parents or peers. We examined the quantity of alcohol reported as consumed by adolescents who: drank o d y with their parents, never drank with their parents, and also those who drank both with and without parents when parents were present and when parents were not present. Method The sample consisted of 1128 students, 579 boys and 549 girls in Senior I-J~gh(Grades 10, 11, and 12) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A systematic sampling procedure was used mvolving a random start, followed by the selection of every fifth class on a master List obtained from the school board. Given the constant selection ratio, the sample is self-weighting. The questionnaire was based on Smart's (1985) guidelines for the development of adolescent drug-use surveys. Second-year university students were trained to administer the questionnaire on an assigned day. Teachers were not present during the completion of the survey, and students' responses were anonymous. Results Table 1 presents the mean number of drinks consumed in four circumstances by grade and sex of respondent. "Only, with" signifies students who only consume in the presence of parents, while "Only, without" represents those who never drink with parents, but do consume in other settings. "Both, with" represents the quantity consumed when parents are present, wtule "Both, without" signifies the quantity consumed when parents are absent for those students who drink with and without their parents. 'Address correspondence to Wayne m t i c , Ed.D., Health Education Division, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 3J5.
Students in junior and senior years, respectively, who drink "Only with" their parents consume, on average, less than 1 drink and 1 to 1.5 drinks per occasion. Students who drink when their parents are present and in other situations as well (Both, with) report slightly higher mean consumption with parents than the "Only, with" group. Among those who drink with and without their parents, mean consumption when parents are not present (Both, without) are higher for boys and girls among junior and senior students than that of their peers in the "Only, without" group. TABLE 1 MEANNUMBEROF DRINKSCONSUMED WITHAND WITHOUTPARENTS Drinking Category
Junior Boys
M Only, with Only, without Both, with Both, without n
SD 0.3 2.1 0.9 2.9
0.7 4.0 1.9 4.2 282
Senior Girls M SD 0.9 0.4 3.0 1.7 1.1 0.6 4.5 2.7 268
Boys M SD 0.7 0.3 5.2 3.3 1.7 0.9 5.9 3.1 297
Girls
M
SD
0.4 3.8 1.4 3.9
0.2 1.9 0.5 1.7 281
Implications Parental influence appears to aid establishment of low-level drinking, likely to occur during meals and special occasions. Alternatively, peers tend to encourage the consumption of greater quantities of alcohol, thereby predisposing the adolescent to possible misuse. Parents who introduce their teenagers to alcohol at home in an attempt to prepare them for responsible use during adulthood, while reducing teenage consumption in their presence probably do not effect reduction in consumption when they are not present. Consumption rates are even greater among this group than among those teenagers who do not drink with parental guidance. REFERENCES JESSOR,R., & JESSOR,S. L. (1975) Adolescent development vs the onset of drinking: a longitudinal study. Quarterly Journal of Studies in Alcohol, 36, 27-51. KANDEL,D. B. (1980) Drug and drinking behavior among youth. Annual Review of Sociology, 6, 235-285. NEEDLE,R., MCCUBBM, H., WILSON,M., REINECK,R., LAZARA,, & MEDERER,H. (1986) Interpersonal influences in adolescent drug use-the role of older siblings, parents and peers. International Journal of the Addictions, 21, 739-766. SIIEPPARD, M. A. (1987) Peers or parents: who has the most influence on cannabis use? Journal of Drug Education, 17, 123-128. SMART, R. (1985) Guidelines for the developmenf of Canadian surveys of alcohol and drug me among students. Ottawa: Health and Welfare Canada. Accepted December 1 1 , 1990.
