Citation

Osgood DW, Ragan DT, Wallace L, Gest SD, Feinberg ME, Moody J. J. Res. Adolesc. 2013; 23(3): ePub.

Affiliation

Crime, Law and Justice Program, Department of Sociology, Pennsylvania State University, 211 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA 16802.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/jora.12059

PMID

24307830

PMCID

PMC3844135

Abstract

This study addresses not only influence and selection of friends as sources of similarity in alcohol use, but also peer processes leading drinkers to be chosen as friends more often than non-drinkers, which increases the number of adolescents subject to their influence. Analyses apply a stochastic actor-based model to friendship networks assessed five times from 6(th) through 9(th) grades for 50 grade cohort networks in Iowa and Pennsylvania, which include 13,214 individuals. Results show definite influence and selection for similarity in alcohol use, as well as reciprocal influences between drinking and frequently being chosen as a friend. These findings suggest that adolescents view alcohol use as an attractive, high status activity and that friendships expose adolescents to opportunities for drinking.

Language: en