The influence of normative misperceptions on alcohol-related problems among school-age adolescents in the U.S

Citation

Amialchuk, Aliaksandr & Sapci, Onur (2020). The influence of normative misperceptions on alcohol-related problems among school-age adolescents in the U.S. Review of Economics of the Household.

Abstract

Adolescents usually overestimate their peers’ alcohol use, and these misperceptions affect adolescents’ own alcohol-related behaviors. Using a nationally representative dataset of U.S. adolescents in grades seven to twelve, we estimate the effect of misperception about friends’ alcohol use on adolescents’ alcohol consumption behaviors and alcohol-related problems. Overestimation of friends’ alcohol use significantly increases the likelihood of all alcohol consumption behaviors and all alcohol-related problems approximately one year later. The influence of misperceptions of friends’ drinking is significantly larger for male adolescents than for female adolescents in the cases of heavy drinking, vomiting after drinking, and drunk driving.

URL

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11150-020-09481-3

Keyword(s)

Alcohol

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

Review of Economics of the Household

Author(s)

Amialchuk, Aliaksandr
Sapci, Onur

Year Published

2020

ISSN/ISBN

1573-7152

DOI

10.1007/s11150-020-09481-3

Reference ID

6551