Identifying At-Risk Youth: The Moderating Role of Sensation Seeking, Sensitivity to Peer Pressure and Self-Control in the Relation between Sharing Alcohol References on Social Media and Drinking Intentions

Femke Geusens; Cabral A. Bigman-Galimore; Kathleen Beullens

doi:10.47368/ejhc.2020.002

Identifying At-Risk Youth

The Moderating Role of Sensation Seeking, Sensitivity to Peer Pressure and Self-Control in the Relation between Sharing Alcohol References on Social Media and Drinking Intentions

Authors

Femke Geusens Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, KU Leuven https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3600-2249
Cabral A. Bigman-Galimore Department of Communication, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4510-7878
Kathleen Beullens Leuven School for Mass Communication Research, KU Leuven https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0530-7947

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2020.002

Keywords:

social media, alcohol, differential susceptibility, personality

Abstract

Background & purpose. Research indicates a positive relationship between sharing alcohol references on social media and drinking behavior. The current study extends that line of research by assessing the interaction of risk-related personality traits with alcohol-related social media use, to examine if social media can be used to identify individuals at risk for heavy drinking behavior.

Methods & results. The results of a cross-sectional survey among a sample of 638 emerging adults (age 18-25) find that the positive association between sharing alcohol references on social media and drinking intention was strongest for individuals with low levels of sensation seeking and sensitivity to peer pressure, and high levels of self-control, and non-significant for those on the other end of these personality traits.

Conclusions. These findings indicate that the relationship between sharing alcohol references and drinking intentions is not uniform for all individuals, and that risk-related individual differences should be considered in future research and interventions.

EJHC | European Journal of Health Communication

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Published

01.10.2020

How to Cite

Geusens, F., Bigman-Galimore, C. A., & Beullens, K. (2020). Identifying At-Risk Youth: The Moderating Role of Sensation Seeking, Sensitivity to Peer Pressure and Self-Control in the Relation between Sharing Alcohol References on Social Media and Drinking Intentions. European Journal of Health Communication, 1(1), 7–29. https://doi.org/10.47368/ejhc.2020.002

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Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2020)

Section

Original Research Paper

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