What Do Students Talk About When They Talk About Alcohol: Conversational Topics and Alcohol Consumption Predictors

• In Event: Antialcohol Messages

Abstract

Interpersonal communication (e.g., whether and how positively people talk) about alcohol has been shown to affect alcohol consumption, yet evidence is scarce about the content and valence of alcohol-related conversations and how these concepts relate to alcohol consumption predictors. By employing a correlational design among students (N = 133), this study measured alcohol consumption predictors and conversational valence and occurrence regarding three topics (i.e., personal alcohol-related experiences, alcohol-related experiences of others, and alcohol-related media messages). Results showed that people talk more often about alcohol-related experiences than about alcohol-related media messages. Furthermore, personal alcohol-related experiences are more positively discussed than others' experiences or alcohol-related media messages. Whether and how positively people talk about alcohol-related experiences was related to several alcohol consumption determinants; however, talking about media messages was generally unrelated to alcohol consumption predictors. Thus, health promotion attempts should elicit negative conversations about alcohol-related experiences (and not necessarily about media messages).

Authors

• Hanneke Hendriks, Leiden University

• Gert-Jan de Bruijn, ASCoR, U of Amsterdam