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Does self‐control account for the relationship between binge drinking and alcohol‐related behaviours?
Author(s) -
Piquero Alex R.,
Gibson Chris L.,
Tibbetts Stephen G.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
criminal behaviour and mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.63
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1471-2857
pISSN - 0957-9664
DOI - 10.1002/cbm.492
Subject(s) - binge drinking , psychology , self control , bivariate analysis , probit model , multivariate probit model , ordered probit , human factors and ergonomics , poison control , developmental psychology , medicine , econometrics , environmental health , statistics , mathematics , economics
Gottfredson and Hirschi's theory that there is an underlying factor accounting for all sorts of antisocial behaviour has attracted widespread theoretical and empirical attention. One of their most controversial statements is a ‘generality’ hypothesis, a notion that criminal, deviant and reckless acts are highly correlated because they are caused by individual differences in self‐control. In this paper, we examine the extent to which self‐control accounts for the relationship between two behaviours: binge drinking and involvement in alcohol‐related behaviours, including criminal behaviour. Method Questionnaires were given to students at a southern US university. A final sample of 241 students (35% males, 91% whites, aged 17–40). One question concerned binge‐drinking, 11 others related to other alcohol‐related behaviour; a 24‐item scale measured self‐control and sex was recorded. A probit model was used to test the effect of low self‐control on binge drinking and on other alcohol‐related behaviours. It was found that self‐control exhibits a positive effect on both. But binge drinking and other alcohol‐related behaviours are correlated, so a further analysis using a bivariate probit model was undertaken using a naïve model (no covariates), an unconstrained model (allowing self‐control to exert a unique effect on both outcomes), and a constrained model forcing self‐control to be the same for both outcomes. Results Our results suggest that while low self‐control is a significant predictor of both binge drinking and alcohol‐related problems, it does not fully account for the relationship between the two outcomes. In addition, separate estimation for each sex reveal a substantively different pattern of results. Discussion Further research is needed to disentangle the differences between the sexes. Situational factors, especially in males, may account for adverse alcohol‐related behaviours. Other measures of self‐control are also needed. Copyright © 2002 Whurr Publishers Ltd.