elizabethm.oliva2

Title of QTUG presentation:

Gender differences in the contributions of personality and peers to adolescent alcohol use

List of Author and co-authors for QTUG presentation:

Elizabeth M. Oliva, Margaret A. Keyes, William Iacono, & Matt McGue

Abstract There is substantive evidence that personality and peers play roles in adolescent alcohol use; however, few studies have examined the contributions of antecedent and concurrent personality and peers to identify the common pathways involved and whether those pathways differ by gender. To address these research gaps we examined data from a large community sample of male and female twins assessed at ages 11, 14, and 18 (N=921, 54% female, 97% Caucasian). Using path analysis, we analyzed the extent to which constraint at ages 11 and 18, and negative and positive peer influences at ages 14 and 18, predicted age 18 alcohol frequency. Individuals high in constraint were characterized as being cautious, planful, rule-abiding, and avoidant of risky activities. Negative peers were more likely to break rules and use alcohol and drugs while positive peers were more likely to do well in school and be liked by peers and teachers. These two peer influences were examined in separate models by gender and included socioeconomic status as a covariate. Preliminary findings suggest that concurrent personality mediates antecedent personality and that there are different pathways for negative and positive peers. Gender differences and the implications of these findings will be discussed.