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Friendly Young People in Particular Drink Under Pressure |
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From EurekAlert! - Breaking News: Men, extrovert people and those with positive expectations regarding alcohol use drink more than others, says Dutch psychologist Sander Bot. Friendly young people in particular, people who score high on the personality dimension friendliness, are sensitive to the influence of others on their alcohol use. The research was carried out under young adults aged 18 to 25 years, most of whom did not live at home. For example, a high level of parental support is generally associated with less antisocial behaviour and is correlated with less alcohol consumption in the presence of peers. The drinking behaviour of the father affects that of the young person: if he drinks regularly then the children readily do the same. The results of this study showed that 12 to 14 year olds are most influenced by classmates with a higher status and those with whom they want to be friends. Here, a high degree of imitation was also found yet no distinction in influence was seen between either best friends or participants with high status, the so-called leader figures. Although these factors may play a role in the decision to actually go on a night out or indeed to leave the drinking situation, but within the situation they make no difference whatsoever. Sex ratio in the group is a major determinant for alcohol use: the more men present, the greater the amount drunk by both men and women. Previous research had established that people drink less if they are actively involved in a game such as billiards, darts or a card game. This means that the total alcohol consumption is not influenced by what people do when they socialise.
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