It's Not Just What Parents Say, It's Why They Say It: Students' Perceptions of Parents' Motives for Alcohol Communication.

OBJECTIVE: Previous work has investigated parents' reports of motives for communicating with their young adults about alcohol. While parents' self-reported motives may predict intentions to communicate, young adults' perceptions of their parents' motives may be important for understanding young adults' responses to parent alcohol communication. The present study was conducted to explore college students' perceptions of their parents' motives for alcohol communication and to investigate whether perceptions of these motives predict changes in alcohol consumption and related consequences during the transition to college. METHOD: First-year college students (N = 306) participated in a longitudinal survey study. Baseline measures at pre-matriculation (T1) included assessments of student perceptions of their parents' motives for alcohol communication and covariates (e.g., perceived peer descriptive drinking norms, parental modeling and alcohol communication, and drinking and consequences). At a 1-month follow-up (T2), students reported on their alcohol use and consequences. RESULTS: Controlling for other predictors of college student drinking, results indicate that for each one-unit increase in perceived parental reactive communication motives, the incidence rate of typical weekly drinking increased by 9%, and heavy episodic drinking (HED) increased by 21%. Conversely, the incidence rate of HED decreased by 27% for each one-unit increase in perceived maternal family history communication motives. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that college students' perceptions of their parents' motives for alcohol communication can significantly influence their drinking behavior during the transition to college.

Pornography Use, Perceived Peer Norms, and Attitudes Toward Women: A Study of College Men.

Men's negative attitudes toward women is a known risk factor for sexual aggression perpetration. Sexual aggression is a widespread public health concern, especially among emerging adults, and is associated with a multitude of negative consequences. The current study evaluated whether pornography-related perceived peer norms, own approval, and self-reported use are associated with negative attitudes towards women in a sample of college men. Types of pornography examined included: pornography (in general), pornography that included portrayals of bondage, whipping, and spanking but without explicit dissent (i.e., pornography that depicted bondage/physical aggression), as well as pornography consisting of sexually explicit rape depictions in which force is used. Self-report measures assessing the frequency of pornography exposure, self-acceptance of pornography use, and perceived peer norms were collected from 283 college men. A multiple linear regression model revealed that only perceived peer norms for acceptance of pornography that depicted rape was positively associated with negative attitudes toward women. Findings highlight the importance of better understanding and addressing perceived peer norms in sexual assault prevention programs for college men.

Assessing the feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a multiple behavior change intervention addressing alcohol use, sexual risk taking, and bystander intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Prevention programs that address the intersecting health problems of risky alcohol use, unsafe sexual behaviors, and sexual violence are needed. This pilot project assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a two-session group-based intervention, Sex Positive Lifestyles: Addressing Alcohol & Sexual Health (SPLASH), targeting these highly interconnected risks for college students across genders. METHOD: A total of 217 participants (51.6% male, ages 18-24) took part in the SPLASH intervention or a nutrition/exercise control condition. SPLASH included three approaches aimed at reducing the incidence of alcohol problems, unsafe sex, and sexual victimization: normative feedback to modify misperceptions around peers' drinking, sexual behaviors, and support of bystander intervention; drinking and sexual-related protective behavioral strategy training to enhance safer drinking and sex-risk behaviors; and bystander intervention skills training to promote bystander efficacy and engagement. Participants completed baseline and follow-up (1-month and 6-month) online assessments. RESULTS: SPLASH demonstrated high acceptability and feasibility, as well as preliminary efficacy. SPLASH participants reported strong acceptability of the intervention, particularly its integrated content and interactive, in-person group format. Successful enrollment (70% randomized) and retainment point to the feasibility of recruiting students to this two-session in-person intervention. Results showed sustained trends toward more accurate perceived sex-related norms and indications of increasing bystander norms among intervention but not control participants. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate the potential for SPLASH to effectively address the interrelated health risks of risky alcohol use, unsafe sex, and sexual violence on college campuses and point to the need for larger-scale studies.

College students' perceptions of positive and negative drinking-related sexual experiences.

Objective: During young adulthood, drinking and sexual behaviors are both normative and inextricably linked. While this association is well documented, little is known about how students define positive and negative drinking-related sexual experiences. Methods: Thirty-five undergraduates participated in a focus group about sexual experiences in the context of drinking. Thematic analysis was utilized to identify themes in the data. Results: Students' descriptions of positive drinking-related sexual encounters included having a good time, feeling safe, maintaining control over alcohol, as well as feeling safe in drinking contexts where sexual partners are located. Students' perceptions of negative experiences included specific consequences such as a damaged reputation, loss of control due to alcohol, and concern of engagement in sex when they or a partner was too intoxicated to consent. Conclusion: Gaining a better understanding of how college students view positive and negative drinking-related sexual experiences could inform interventions aimed at promoting student well-being.

Utility of the Theory of Planned Behaviour for predicting parents' intentions to vaccinate their children against COVID-19.

Vaccination is a crucial form of primary prevention, and it is important to understand the factors that influence parents' decisions to vaccinate their children. The current study examines the utility of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and anticipated affect for explaining parents' intentions to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. Parents (N = 843) living in the United States completed an online survey. The TPB variables explained 65% of the variability in parents' intentions. In addition to all three of the TPB antecedents predicting vaccine intentions, both anticipated regret of not vaccinating and anticipated positive emotions of vaccinating were associated with parent intentions. Contrary to predictions, subjective norms were a stronger predictor of intentions when perceived behavioural control was lower compared to higher. These findings help further our understanding of parent-for-child vaccine decisions in the context of novel health threats and inform intervention efforts aimed at encouraging this behaviour.

Looking out for You and Me: College students' Strategies for Preventing Sexual Assault in Drinking Contexts.

Background: Sexual assault and heavy alcohol use are prevalent and interrelated public health concerns on university campuses. Surprisingly, however, few alcohol harm reduction interventions address this intersection to help students reduce both personal and community risks for sexual assault in college drinking contexts. Objectives: In the current study, students (ages 18-24) shared strategies they use to protect themselves and others from sexual assault in college drinking contexts, as well as challenges to implementing these strategies. A series of six focus groups were conducted across two universities in the U.S. (N = 35). Participants responded to open-ended questions focused on drinking and sexual assault (e.g., What are some of the things students might do to avoid or address situations where they feel pressured of coerced to hook up or have sex when they do not want to?). Results: Thematic analyses demonstrated students' awareness of protective behavioral and bystander intervention strategies that could help reduce vulnerability to experience sexual assault for themselves or others in drinking contexts. Perceived barriers to using bystander intervention strategies included student's own and friends' heavy drinking (decreased inhibitions, loss of autonomy), ambiguity in deciphering risk (lack of familiarity, minimization, diffusion of responsibility), and gender (gender norms, power imbalances). Conclusions: This study informs the development of interventions that help students identify strategies and overcome barriers to reduce risks for sexual assault in college drinking contexts.

A synthesis of evidence for policy from behavioural science during COVID-19.

Scientific evidence regularly guides policy decisions1, with behavioural science increasingly part of this process2. In April 2020, an influential paper3 proposed 19 policy recommendations ('claims') detailing how evidence from behavioural science could contribute to efforts to reduce impacts and end the COVID-19 pandemic. Here we assess 747 pandemic-related research articles that empirically investigated those claims. We report the scale of evidence and whether evidence supports them to indicate applicability for policymaking. Two independent teams, involving 72 reviewers, found evidence for 18 of 19 claims, with both teams finding evidence supporting 16 (89%) of those 18 claims. The strongest evidence supported claims that anticipated culture, polarization and misinformation would be associated with policy effectiveness. Claims suggesting trusted leaders and positive social norms increased adherence to behavioural interventions also had strong empirical support, as did appealing to social consensus or bipartisan agreement. Targeted language in messaging yielded mixed effects and there were no effects for highlighting individual benefits or protecting others. No available evidence existed to assess any distinct differences in effects between using the terms 'physical distancing' and 'social distancing'. Analysis of 463 papers containing data showed generally large samples; 418 involved human participants with a mean of 16,848 (median of 1,699). That statistical power underscored improved suitability of behavioural science research for informing policy decisions. Furthermore, by implementing a standardized approach to evidence selection and synthesis, we amplify broader implications for advancing scientific evidence in policy formulation and prioritization.

(Mis)Perceptions of bystander behaviors and approval: The role of gender-specific perceived norms.

Objective: The current study examines college students' perceptions of same-gender and opposite gender peer norms for bystander behaviors in drinking contexts, as well as the association between perceived norms and participants' willingness to intervene and actual behavior. Method: Participants completed an online survey assessing bystander-related perceived norms, willingness, and behavior. A subset of participants also completed a measure of bystander behavior 4-months later. Results: The results indicated a divergent pattern of normative misperceptions for descriptive and injunctive norms, in which participants overestimated descriptive norms and underestimated injunctive norms. Further, participants who perceived greater perceived injunctive norms reported greater willingness to intervene in the future. While those who perceived that their peers intervened more frequently were more likely to have engaged in bystander behavior at baseline and the four-month follow-up. Conclusions: Results also suggest that the role of gender-specific norms is complex and dependent on participants' own gender. The results indicate the potential value of developing norms-based interventions addressing bystander behaviors and implications for the types of normative misperceptions to target.

Capturing connections during COVID-19: Using photography to assess US college students' sense of belonging.

Past research has highlighted a range of factors that impact college students' sense of belonging. It is less clear how the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped college students' experience of belonging. The current study used a reflective photography approach to examine US college students' experience of belonging to their institution during the COVID-19 pandemic. Student responses included themes of: Physical Space, Community, Adaptation/Continuity, Identity, and Negative Affect. Physical space emerged as the most common theme. Regardless of whether students were studying on campus or remotely, students described the role of the natural and built environment in finding a sense of connection and belonging. In comparisons based on students' class year, first-year students talked more about the role of structured groups and other cohorts highlighted the role of past shared experiences. The findings have implications for interventions aimed at promoting student belonging.

"Let's Not Talk About It": Parents' Reasons for Not Discussing Alcohol Use With Emerging Adult Children.

PURPOSE: It is unclear why parents avoid discussing alcohol use with their emerging adult (EA) children. Understanding parents' reasons for not communicating could inform parent-based interventions (PBIs) aimed at encouraging constructive discussions. The current study adds to the literature by examining common reasons parents avoid discussing alcohol use with their EA children. METHODS: Parents of EAs completed a web-based survey that included items assessing reasons for not communicating about alcohol, as well as measures of alcohol communication intentions, parenting self-efficacy, relationship quality, and interest in participating in an alcohol PBI. RESULTS: Results from the Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed five core reasons why parents do not communicate about alcohol: (1) they lack the skills or resources to communicate; (2) they believe their child is a nondrinker; (3) they believe their child is an independent, trustworthy decision maker; (4) they can teach their child how to drink through modeling; (5) they believe communication is futile. Believing that an EA could and should make their own alcohol decisions was the most common reason for not communicating. In multivariate analyses, this reason for not communicating was associated with greater levels of parental self-efficacy and perceiving a child to drink less alcohol. Further, this reason for not communicating was associated with lower intentions to communicate about drinking and less interest in taking part in a PBI. DISCUSSION: Most parents reported barriers to communication. Understanding why parents are reluctant to discuss alcohol use could inform PBI efforts.

Development and Application of a Comprehensive Measure of Access to Health Services to Examine COVID-19 Health Disparities.

Research on access to health services during the COVID-19 pandemic is limited, and the conceptualization of access has not typically included access to community resources. We developed and tested an access-to-health-services measure and examined disparities in access among individuals in the U.S. during the pandemic. Data are from a U.S. sample of 1491 respondents who completed an online survey in August 2021. Linear regression models assessed the relationships between the access-to-health-services-measure components, including impact on access to medicine and medical equipment, impact on access to healthcare visits, and confidence in accessing community resources, and predictor variables, including sociodemographic- and health-related factors. Disparities in access to healthcare during the pandemic were associated with sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., race, gender, and age) and health-related characteristics (i.e., chronic illness, mental health condition, and disability). Factors such as race, gender, income, and age were associated with individuals' degree of confidence in accessing community services. Our study presents a new access-to-health-services measure, sheds light on which populations may be most vulnerable to experiencing reduced access to health services, and informs the development of programmatic interventions to address the salient needs of these populations.

What pandemic? A multisite study of drinking motives and drinking games participation among college students during a pandemic (COVID-19) academic year.

A drinking game (DG) is a widely practiced social activity that tends to encourage rapid alcohol consumption. While social restrictions during the pandemic (COVID-19) academic year were implemented as a health measure across many colleges/universities, the extent to which college student drinkers continued to play DGs in-person is not well understood. Because theory and research suggest that drinking motives are proximal correlates of drinking behaviors, we examined which drinking motives increased the likelihood of playing DGs in-person, and playing DGs in-person in a group of 10 + people during the 2020-21 pandemic academic year. College students (past-year drinkers) from 12 universities completed an online survey (N = 900; Mage = 19.42, Range = 18-25; SDage = 1.45, White = 73.1%, 69.2% female). Of the students surveyed, 590 students played DGs, with 460 students only playing DGs in-person. Of the students who played DGs in-person, 274 students reported that the maximum number of people they played DGs with in-person exceeded the CDC's recommended guidelines (10 + people). Accounting for demographics, general alcohol use, and perceived COVID-19 threat, social drinking motives were positively associated with an increased likelihood of playing DGs in-person; the inverse was found for coping motives. Drinking motives were not associated with the likelihood of playing DGs with 10 + people but greater alcohol use and lower perceived threat of COVID-19 were. Given that the pandemic did not deter many student drinkers from playing DGs in-person, further investment in targeted intervention and public health initiatives aimed at substance-free alternatives promoting engagement and enhancement of social activities may be needed.

Mental Health Risk Profiles and Related Substance Use During Coronavirus Pandemic Among College Students Who Use Substances.

College students have shown elevated mental distress during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). The extent and persistence of mental distress as COVID-19 restrictions have continued is unclear. This study used latent profile analysis to identify student mental health risk subgroups and to evaluate subgroups in relation with substance use. A four-profile solution was supported with a sample of 930 college students (69.6% female, 58.1% White) from 11 US-based institutions. Students were characterized by slight mental health symptoms, mild mental health symptoms, moderate-to-severe mental health symptoms with mild psychosis/substance use, and severe mental health symptoms. The severe profile comprised more ethnoracial or sexual minorities and students impacted from COVID-19. Whereas the severe profile had more alcohol-related consequences, the slight profile had fewer cannabis-related consequences. COVID-19 has exacerbated college student risks for psychiatric disorders. Students of diverse backgrounds and more impacted by COVID-19 show disproportionately more mental distress and related substance use.

Assessing parents' motives for talking about alcohol with their emerging adult children.

Past research has explored the content and frequency of alcohol-specific communication between parents and their emerging adult children. The current study aimed to address a gap in the research by examining parents' motivation for discussing alcohol. To accomplish this, we developed a multidimensional Parent Motives for Alcohol Communication Scale (PMACS). A total of 633 parents completed the PMACS along with measures assessing communication frequency, communication content, attitudes toward drinking, relationship quality, and perceptions of child alcohol use. An Exploratory Factor Analysis yielded five core communication motives. Parents were commonly motivated by desires to prevent their child's alcohol use, to respond to their child's heavy drinking, to teach their child how to drink safely, to meet relationship needs or expectations, and by a family history of alcohol problems. After controlling for demographic factors, communication motives predicted frequency of alcohol-specific communication. The patterns of relationship among motives and conceptually related constructs provided preliminary support for the construct validity of the PMACS.

Using social and behavioural science to support COVID-19 pandemic response.

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a massive global health crisis. Because the crisis requires large-scale behaviour change and places significant psychological burdens on individuals, insights from the social and behavioural sciences can be used to help align human behaviour with the recommendations of epidemiologists and public health experts. Here we discuss evidence from a selection of research topics relevant to pandemics, including work on navigating threats, social and cultural influences on behaviour, science communication, moral decision-making, leadership, and stress and coping. In each section, we note the nature and quality of prior research, including uncertainty and unsettled issues. We identify several insights for effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight important gaps researchers should move quickly to fill in the coming weeks and months.

'Mama Don't Preach': Young Adults' Perceptions of Maternal Messages about Underage Drinking.

College students commonly report that their parents provide advice about how to drink safely; however, there is very little research exploring the content of parent-child harm-reduction conversations. The present study explores the types of advice mothers provide underage college students about drinking. A random sample of college students (ages 18 to 20) completed an online survey about their alcohol use and conversations they had with their mother about alcohol. Students' perceptions of mother-child harm-reduction conversations include the themes of: specific protective behavioral strategies, ambiguous behavioral advice, decision making advice, value-based advice, warning-based advice, and advice conveying approval. Discussion of specific protective behavioral strategies was most common for female students and students who reported binge drinking. Mothers did not typically address how to implement harm-reduction strategies effectively. The findings have implications for the assessment of harm-reduction communication between parents and emerging adult children.

Examining interactions within the theory of planned behavior in the prediction of intentions to engage in cannabis-related driving behaviors.

Objective: As marijuana use becomes more available to college students through increasing legal reform, this paper seeks to examine intentions for driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) and riding with a high driver (RWHD) through the lens of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and assess potential interactions between personal attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and sex. Participants: Undergraduate college students (N = 311) completed online surveys in September, 2013. Method: Participants self-reported their attitudes toward DUIC, subjective norms, PBC, past DUIC and RWHD, and intentions to DUIC and RWHD. Results: Participants' attitudes toward DUIC, subjective norms, and PBC were strongly associated with intentions to DUIC and RWHD bivariately. In regression models, attitudes and PBC were both positively and significantly related to intentions to DUIC and RWHD. Conclusions: DUIC and RWHD are concerns for college populations. Targeting personal attitudes and perceived behavioral control via interventions may reduce these behaviors.

Examining drinking game harms as a function of gender and college student status.

Drinking game (DG) participation among young adults is widespread. Because heavy alcohol consumption is commonly associated with playing DGs, this activity presents a health risk for those who play. In the present study, we explored the most common negative DG consequences experienced by young adults and how DG consequences differed by gender and college status. Participants were young adult drinking gamers (N = 1,600; age 18-25; Mage = 22.6; 47% men; 41% noncollege students; 77% White) recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk. They completed an online anonymous survey which included items on the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire that were modified to measure DG consequences experienced in the past month. Over half of the participants reported experiencing a hangover, saying/doing embarrassing things, having less energy, and feeling sick as a result of playing DGs. Using IRT analysis, we also found differential item functioning (DIF) on several items across gender and college status. We then created a short-form version of the DG consequences measure that excluded items demonstrating DIF, and based on this modified measure, we examined differences in severity of negative DG consequences as a function of gender and college status. Controlling for age, college status, DG frequency/consumption, and alcohol use on non-DG occasions, we found that men experienced slightly more DG consequences than women. Similar findings emerged for college students compared to noncollege students. This study is an important first step toward understanding who is most at risk for experiencing certain types of negative DG consequences and how researchers/practitioners could measure this construct. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Is marijuana identity associated with marijuana use and consequences? An examination of direct and interactive associations.

BACKGROUND: There is relatively little research examining the relationship between identity and marijuana-related outcomes (e.g., marijuana use and consequences). Identity may both directly help shape marijuana use behaviors and moderate the influence of other risk factors on marijuana outcomes. OBJECTIVES: The current study examines the relationship between marijuana identity and marijuana-related outcomes among emerging adults and explores whether identity moderates the relationships between nonidentity correlates (e.g., perceived norms and negative affect) of marijuana-related outcomes. METHODS: College students who reported marijuana use in the past 12 months completed measures of marijuana identity, perceived norms, negative affect, frequency of marijuana use, and marijuana consequences. Conclusions/Importance: The results indicated that marijuana identity is associated with marijuana use frequency and moderates the relationship between perceived norms and marijuana consequences. The findings have implications for both identity-based and social norms-based interventions targeting problematic marijuana use among emerging adults.

Harm-reduction and zero-tolerance maternal messages about college alcohol use.

Past cross-sectional research suggests that zero-tolerance messaging by parents of college students may be more effective than harm-reduction communication at reducing student alcohol risk. The current study employs longitudinal data to examine whether communication type interacts with student alcohol use to predict subsequent drinking outcomes. U.S. college students reported on their own exposure to zero-tolerance and harm-reduction maternal communication. Approximately seven months later, students completed measures of maternal alcohol approval and their own alcohol behaviors. The relationship between communication and subsequent alcohol behaviors depended on students' baseline drinking. For heavy drinkers, harm-reduction communication was associated with less alcohol use and consequences. For those who drank less than two drinks a week, zero-tolerance communication was associated with fewer negative consequences. Zero-tolerance communication was associated with perceiving mothers as less approving, while harm reduction communication was associated with perceiving mothers as more approving. There were indirect effects of communication on drinking through perceived maternal approval. While overall harm-reduction communication may lead students to perceive mothers as more approving of alcohol use, there may be contexts in which this type of communication is beneficial.