Social and Conformity Drinking Motives as a Mediator of the Association Between Collective Self-esteem and Alcohol Quantity Among College Students

Abstract

College is often associated with a developmental period during which consuming alcohol is at a lifetime high. So much so that when considering the identity of a “typical student,” the profile often includes the consumption of alcohol. In part, alcohol consumption in college settings is driven by social and conformity influences. The present research thus examines the extent to which social and conformity motives mediate the relation between collective self-esteem (CSE) and alcohol quantity. The present analytic sample (N=1173) was 62.8% female, 19.9 years old on average, and 62.2% identified as non-Hispanic White. Mediation was tested using the joint-significance approach with Monte-Carlo simulation to estimate confidence intervals. In Model 1 where social motives was the mediator, the “a” path was not statistically significant for all subscales except CSE-identity (b = 0.049, 95% CI: [0.003, 0.096]). Mediation analyses did not reveal social motives as a mediator for CSE – membership, – public, or – private, but social motives did mediate the effect of CSE – identity on alcohol use (ab = 0.01, 95% CI: [0.001, 0.020]). In Model 2, where conformity motives was the mediator, there was a negative association in the “a” path between conformity motives and CSE – membership (a = -0.080, 95% CI: [-0.124, -0.036]), CSE – public (a = -0.091, 95% CI: [-0.140, -0.042]), and CSE – private, (a = -0.092, 95% CI: [-0.136, -0.047]). Lastly, conformity motives mediated the relationship between all CSE subscales and alcohol use except CSE – identity (CSE-membership (ab = 0.011, 95% CI: [0.005, 0.017]), CSE-public (ab = 0.012, 95% CI: [0.006, 0.020]), and CSE-private (ab = 0.013, 95% CI: [0.007, 0.020]). Results from this study elucidate the potential mechanisms through which facets of CSE relate to alcohol consumption in college students. We discuss the implications and impact of gravitating toward a “student identity” within college students.