Emerging Adults' Perceptions of Normative Drinking Perceived Susceptibility to Different Types of Alcohol Consequences and Use of Protective Behavioral Strategies

The purpose of the current study was to extend the limited research on alcohol norms specific to alcohol consequences via perceived susceptibility. A handful of previous studies have established that college students overestimate the number of alcohol-related consequences that others experience relative to themselves. The current research explored the relationships between perceived susceptibility to alcohol consequences compared to targets (i.e., same-sex close friend, and typical same-sex student) and other variables predictive of problematic alcohol use in emerging adults. Results indicated that emerging adults perceive the typical same-sex student at their university as experiencing the most alcohol-related consequences, followed by their close same-sex friend, and reporting that they themselves experience the least amount of alcohol related consequences. Perceived susceptibility compared to the typical same-sex student was a stronger predictor of participants’ experience of alcohol consequences than participants own alcohol consumption. Contrary to expected, perceived susceptibility was not subject to gender difference. Perceived susceptibility to alcohol consequences remains a largely untouched area of alcohol research, but may lead to effective alcohol intervention programs based on personalized feedback.