The Relationship between Alcohol Use and Social Responsibility in College Students.

This study examines the relationship between college student alcohol use and the construct of social responsibility. For purposes of the study, alcohol use was defined by average number of drinks a week and frequency of binge drinking; social responsibility was defined by employment, marriage, living with children, living with parents, and hours of volunteer service. A total of 2,223 students at a midsize southern commuter university was surveyed over a 3-year period using a benchmark survey instrument developed for college students. After statistically controlling for the influence of age, gender, and ethnicity, more than 10 percent of the variance of both binge drinking and number of drinks per week was explained by the social responsibility construct. Students with high scores for social responsibility scored low for both binge drinking and number of drinks per week. Interestingly, students living with their parents were found to be more likely to binge drink. Implications of these results are discussed. (JM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALCOHOL USE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN COLLEGE STUDENTS Presented at the 1999 U. S. Department of Education's National Meeting on Alcohol, Other Drug, and Violence Prevention U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 19This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Albany, New York November 7, 1999