Self-presentational determinants of health risk behavior among college freshmen

This study examined adolescents' use of unhealthy and potentially dangerous behaviors for self-presentational reasons. At the start of their first sem ester at college, 110 freshmen (M age = 18.2) completed trait measures of s elf-presentational concern. At the end of the semester they were asked abou t their use of health risk behaviors as impression management tactics. Seve nty-five percent of respondents reported performing at least 1 risky behavi or for self-presentational reasons during their first college semester. The most common behaviors were smoking, drinking, driving recklessly and perfo rming dangerous stunts. The desire to be perceived as "cool" or a "risk-tak er" often prompted health risks. Modest correlations between the trait meas ures and health risk behaviors provided additional evidence that self-prese ntational motives sometimes play a role in adolescent health risk behavior.