Journal article
The relationship of parental reinforcement of media messages to college students' alcohol-related behaviors
Journal of health communication, Vol.8(2), pp.157-169
03/2003
PMID: 12746039
Abstract
Although alcohol consumption is a problem on the college campus, beliefs and behaviors predictive of alcohol use are in development in children as young as third grade. Because they develop partially in response to interpretations of media messages, for which parents can have an influence, this study examined how college students' (N=300) recollections of parental reinforcement of media messages associated with alcohol-related beliefs and behaviors. Structural equation modeling showed that recalled positive mediation negatively predicted skepticism, and positively predicted desirability and expectancies. Desirability of media messages predicted more positive norms perceptions, and a lack of skepticism predicted more positive expectancies. With age of first experimentation controlled, expectancies predicted heavier current drinking behavior. Norms did not predict behavior, and positive mediation did not predict norms. The study concludes that to the extent parental communication leads adolescents to interpret media messages less skeptically, they encourage adolescents to find alcohol portrayals appealing. This in turn appears to lead toward more risky behaviors. The results suggest that college-based anti-alcohol campaigns can benefit by acknowledging the appeal of competing messages and by including parents as a campaign target.
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Details
- Title
- The relationship of parental reinforcement of media messages to college students' alcohol-related behaviors
- Creators
- Erica Weintraub Austin - Washington State University, Strategic Communication, Department ofYin Ju Chen
- Publication Details
- Journal of health communication, Vol.8(2), pp.157-169
- Academic Unit
- Strategic Communication, Department of
- Identifiers
- 99901129224501842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article