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293568
Understanding parents' motivation to communicate with their first-year college student about alcohol: A modification and extension of the theory of normative social behavior
Objectives: This study used a modification the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB) to explain parents' communication about alcohol with their first-year college student. TNSB suggests injunctive norms and outcome expectations moderate the relationship between descriptive norms and behavior. In this study we predicted parents' communication about alcohol, with TNSB and with the addition of the communication efficacy, perceptions of severity and susceptibility of alcohol-related consequences as additional moderators.
Methods: This study was conducted using a web survey of parents (N = 890) of first-year students to assess their communication about alcohol, parenting style, normative perceptions related to college students' alcohol use, outcome expectations of talking about alcohol with their student, communication efficacy, and perceptions of severity and susceptibility related to alcohol use. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine the relationships among variables. Results: Parents with higher levels of authoritative parenting discussed more alcohol-related topics. Descriptive norms, injunctive norms, outcome expectations, and perceptions of susceptibility were all significantly and positively related to communication. Injunctive norms, outcome expectations, and perceptions of susceptibility moderated the relationship between descriptive norms and communication.
Conclusion: Findings suggest parent interventions to encourage parent communication should consider parenting style, injunctive norms, parents' communication outcome expectations and parents' perceptions of susceptibility to further enhance parent communication.
Learning Objectives:
Identify and define constructs of the theory of normative social behavior in the context of parents' communication about alcohol with their first-year college student.
Discuss how the theory of normative social behavior can inform future parent-based interventions aimed at reducing heavy episodic drinking among college students.
Keywords: Alcohol, College Students
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: this work was part of my dissertation. I proposed the study and conducted the data analyses.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.