Poster #102 - A Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Identity Development and Harmful Alcohol Use within a Racially/Ethnically Diverse Sample

• In Event: 3-159 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Section - Health, Growth, Injury

Integrative Statement

The development of a clear sense of identity is a key developmental task in adolescence which Erikson (1968) conceptualized as a dynamic play between identity synthesis and identity confusion. Recent studies have found that identity synthesis and confusion are negatively and positively, respectively, to alcohol use (Grigsby et al., 2018). Furthermore, scholars have argued that identity confusion can lead to the development of cognitive vulnerabilities to risky behavior, such as alcohol misuse (Masten et al., 2008). Alcohol expectancies and valuations, cognitive vulnerabilities that predispose youth to alcohol use, are intellectual representations of an individual’s anticipation (and affective evaluation) that drinking alcohol will result in specific positive or negative consequences associated with drinking behavior (Zamboanga, 2005). One alcohol expectancy, tension reduction, may be particularly critical in understanding the relationship between identity processes and alcohol use (Oshri et al., 2014). The tension reduction hypothesis, drinking alcohol to cope with stress (Cooper et al., 1995), coincides with the hypothesis that identity development may prove to be a stressful developmental process (Berman, Montgomery, & Kurtines, 2004), and thereby, may be a motivator for adolescents to drink when a belief exists that stress can be reduced through alcohol use.

In the present study, we examined the mediational effects between identity synthesis and confusion and later alcohol risk, as measured by the brief two-item NIAAA/AAP Brief Alcohol Use Screener (NIAAA, 2011), via alcohol expectancies and valuations (see Figure 1). Our sample consisted of 756 adolescents (53% girls; Mage=13.7 years; SD=1.6 years, 41.4% Hispanic, 39.6% non-Hispanic Black, 8.7% non-Hispanic White, 5.2% Asian, and 5.2% Other) from Miami-Dade County, FL (56%) and Prince George’s County, MD (44%). Analysis were conducted in Mplus v8.0 (Muthén & Muthén, 1998-2012) utilizing a Robust Maximum Likelihood Estimator and controlling for gender and age. The specified model provided a good fit to the data: χ2(2)=1.114, p=.573; CFI=1.000; RMSEA<.001; SRMR = .004. Findings revealed that identity synthesis at Time 1 negatively predicted tension reduction valuations at Time 2 (β=-.161, p=.027). Additionally, identity confusion at Time 1 positively predicted tension reduction valuations at Time 2 (β=.157, p=.034). Neither identity synthesis nor confusion significantly predicted tension reduction expectancies. Finally, results indicated that tension reduction expectancies at Time 2 positively predicted alcohol risk levels at Time 3 (β=.112, p=.018).

Our findings did not fully support our a-priori hypothesis that identity confusion and identity synthesis later predict tension reduction, in turn predicting alcohol risk. While the first tentative steps in identity development occur during adolescence, the most intensive identity exploration often takes place during emerging adulthood, the transitional period between adolescence and adulthood (Arnett, 2007). Future studies should whether tension reduction expectancies mediate the effects of synthesis and confusion on alcohol use in early adulthood. Interestingly, however, the findings revealed that identity synthesis did predict declines in expectancy valuations. It is our hope that further research expounds upon the potential interactions between adolescent identity development and alcohol expectancies and specifically, valuations, as this link may be important in future prevention/intervention efforts.

Authors

• Richie Kubilus, Old Dominion University
  Presenting Author

• DARIEL TAYLOR, Old Dominion University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Alan Meca, Old Dominion University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jonathan G. Tubman, American University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Seth J. Schwartz, University of Miami
  Non-Presenting Author