Date Awarded

1997

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Education

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between college student development and alcohol consumption patterns. Student development was investigated in the domains of moral development through the use of the Defining Issues Test, identity development through the use of the Erwin Identity Scale, and intellectual development through the use of the Scale of Intellectual Development. Alcohol consumption patterns were studied in terms of binge drinking frequency according to responses on the Core Alcohol and Drug Survey. All participants were classified into one of four drinking pattern categories: Abstainers, Drinkers, Bingers, and Frequent Bingers. The study also used a discriminant analysis to determine the linear combination of student developmental and demographic variables which best predicts student drinking category membership.;The study was conducted through a randomized mailing to 400 undergraduate students at the College of William and Mary. The 114 respondents were residential, traditionally-aged students. Results showed that there was a significant effect for the Commitment subscale of the Scale of Intellectual Development by alcohol consumption category. Students who were Non-Bingers were more likely to have higher scores on this measure of commitment to a value system and personal method of processing information. There was also a significant effect for Greek membership by alcohol consumption category, as Frequent Bingers and Bingers were more likely to be members of Greek organizations than were Drinkers and Abstainers. Commitment score and Greek membership were the strongest predictor variables in the discriminant function.

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/doi:10.25774/w4-n3qr-k453

Rights

© The Author

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