PMID: 489850Sep 1, 1979Paper

The relationship of children's attitudes toward alcohol to their value development

Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
R L Gorsuch, D H Arno

Abstract

Developmentally, attitudes toward casual alcohol use and toward the abuse of alcohol should be related to the development of value content and value structure. Two studies were conducted that found this to be generally so with upper elementary schoolchildren. A negative attitude toward the abuse of alcohol was definitely related to general measures of the internalization of those values necessary to be a part of any group as well as the rejection of acts generally considered to be deviant in our culture. Attitudes toward casual use of alcohol were also somewhat related, but not as strongly. However, alcohol attitudes were unrelated to stage of moral development or other measures of thinking processes. Some shifts across age and sex were also noted. Programs oriented toward the prevention of alcohol abuse may need to communicate the value norms of our society and can proceed without impacting attitudes toward casual alcohol use.

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Addiction

This feed focuses mechanisms underlying addiction and addictive behaviour including heroin and opium dependence, alcohol intoxication, gambling, and tobacco addiction.