Examining the Unique Influence of Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Drinking Perceptions on Alcohol Consumption Among College Students
Kimberly L. Mallett, et al.
This article sets out to study the effect that interpersonal and intrapersonal perceptions have on college students’ drinking habits in order to help create a more effective intervention program. The study is a survey of 303 psychology students who volunteered to participate in this survey. The survey measured the interpersonal perceptions of how the participant perceived the drinking habits of a typical college student of the same sex and also the drinking habits of their closest friend. As for the intrapersonal perceptions the study measured how the participant perceived drunkenness (positively or negatively), what each participant’s intentions were for drinking (to drink to intoxication or drink lightly) and the attitudes that the participant had towards drinking. The study then applied these perceptions to the participants reported drinking habits on a weekly basis, weekend basis and during a peak time period. The thought process behind this study was that if it could be understood how college students perceive drinking, then misconceptions could be resolved through these intervention programs and thus help control college drinking and the problems associated with it.
The study found that most students were not affected by the interpersonal perception of the drinking habits of the typical college student of the same sex. However, the participants were affected by the perceived drinking habits of their closest friend. The participants were also affected by all of the intrapersonal perceptions. The findings of this study were concurrent with other studies of this type although the author did note that is was uncertain whether it was the drinking habits of the closest friends causing the drinking habits of the participants or if people with like drinking habits tend to gravitate towards each other.
This study relates to our class discussion of perception because it is a perfect example of how a person’s perception is their own reality. A college student may perceive drinking as a positive activity and that in order to have a fulfilling college experience and in order to fit in and have friends they need to engage in the drinking habits that they believe everyone else engages in as well. The study proves that point because it shows that the intrapersonal perceptions, the perceptions that the participants had of themselves and about themselves had the most influence on their drinking behaviors.