Abstract
A 30-day daily diary study examined the relations among implicit self-esteem, interpersonal interactions, and alcohol consumption in college students. Multilevel analyses revealed that students with low implicit self-esteem drank more on days when they experienced more negative interpersonal interactions. In contrast, students with high implicit self-esteem drank more on days when they experienced more positive interpersonal interactions. Spending time with people who were drinking mediated both the low implicit self-esteem by negative interpersonal events interaction and the high implicit self-esteem by positive interpersonal events interaction. These findings suggest that people with low implicit self-esteem may unintentionally drink as a way to regulate unfulfilled needs for acceptance. On the other hand, people with high implicit self-esteem may drink as a way to enhance positive interpersonal experiences.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 720-730 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Journal of Experimental Social Psychology |
Volume | 45 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 2009 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Alcohol consumption
- Feelings of acceptance
- Implicit self-esteem
- Interpersonal interactions
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Sociology and Political Science