Defensively biased responding to risk information among alcohol-using college students

Addictive Behaviors
Thad R LeffingwellAlison C Babitzke

Abstract

Previous research has found that individuals who engage in risky health behaviors respond to health risk messages in a self-serving manner, limiting the impact of health messages among targeted individuals. The present study sought to investigate whether alcohol-using college students would respond to risk messages about alcohol use with a similar defensive bias. Both alcohol-using (N=244) and non-using (N=91) college students read a summary of alcohol risk information intended for college students. Participants then reported their attitudes about the seriousness of the problem of college drinking, personal risk, and the scientific credibility of the risk information. Results indicated that high-risk participants responded in a self-serving manner, with significantly lower ratings of problem importance among alcohol-using students and non-significant differences among assessments of personal risk between groups. Further, alcohol-using students were more critical of the scientific merit of the risk information and more skeptical about the empirical claims. Defensively biased responding was more pronounced among more frequent and heavy drinking students than among lighter drinking students. The implications of these findings as w...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Mar 6, 2010·Psychology & Health·Stephen Brown, Emma Locker
Apr 15, 2010·Journal of Health Communication·Anne M FairlieCaren Francione Witt
Jun 22, 2010·The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse·Anne M FairlieMark D Wood
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Aug 17, 2020·Addictive Behaviors·Kate B CareyNadine R Mastroleo
Nov 4, 2021·Journal of American College Health : J of ACH·Katharina Sophie VogtPaul Norman

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