CHILDRENS DEVELOPMENT OF ALCOHOL-USE NORMS - CONTRIBUTIONS OF PARENT AND SIBLING NORMS, CHILDRENS TEMPERAMENTS, AND PARENT-CHILD DISCUSSIONS

This study explored the unique contributions of children's temperament s, parents' and siblings' alcohol use norms, and parent-child discussi ons to 10- to 12-year-old children's alcohol use norms. Independent as sessments of each family member's alcohol use norms, mother- and fathe r-reported child temperament assessments, and child reports of the fre quency and nature of parent-child discussions were obtained for 171 fa milies. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed a moderatio nal effect: Children whose temperaments placed them at greater risk fo r alcohol problems in adolescence and early adulthood reported alcohol use norms that became more liberal as other family members' norms bec ame liberal. Frequent and bidirectional parent-child discussions were linked with less liberal alcohol use norms. The results support a tran sactional model of norm development that features interplay among chil dren's temperaments and family processes.