Toward an empirical delineation of a normative structure for college student drinking behaviors

Abstract

TOWARD AN EMPIRICAL DELINEATION OF A NORMATIVE STRUCTURE FOR COLLEGE STUDENT DRINKING BEHAVIORS

LAUREL RAIMONDO MARTIN

Dissertation under the direction of Professor John M. Braxton

This exploratory study was designed to identify a normative pattern among college students with regard to drinking and drinking related behaviors. Further, this study examines how support for the normative structure varies across personal characteristics, sub group affiliations and among different levels of alcohol consumption. This study analyzed data collected using the College Student Alcohol Behaviors Inventory which asked students to indicate how they believe most students and their closest friends at their institution would define behaviors on a scale that ranges from highly appropriate to highly inappropriate. A normative structure was identified which contains behaviors that met the criteria for inviolable, admonitory and laudatory norms (Braxton and Bayer, 1999). Personal characteristics, sub group affiliations and individual drinking behaviors did influence the level of support for the normative structure among students. In addition to corroborating a previous study that showed a normative structure among college students, this exploratory study adds to the research on normative structures within college drinking and alcohol related behaviors and demonstrates that future research is warranted. Approved __________________________________________ Date _________________