MODELS OF ALCOHOL-USE BY YOUNG-ADULTS - AN EXAMINATION OF VARIOUS ATTITUDE-BEHAVIOR THEORIES

Objective: The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of vari ous attitude-behavior theories in explaining alcohol use among young a dults. The theory of reasoned action (TRA), the theory of planned beha vior and an extension of the TRA that incorporates past behavior were compared by the method of maximum-likelihood estimation, as implemente d in LISREL for Windows 8.12. Method: Respondents consisted of 122 uni versity students (82 female) who were questioned about their attitudes , subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, past behavior and in tentions relating to drinking behavior. Students received course credi t for their participation in the research. Results: Overall, the resul ts suggest that the extension of the theory of reasoned action which i ncorporates past behavior provides the best fit to the data. For these young adults, their intentions to drink alcohol were predicted by the ir past behavior as well as their perceptions of what important others think they should do (subjective norm). Conclusions: The main conclus ions drawn from the research concern the importance of focusing on nor mative influences and past behavior in explaining young adult alcohol use. Issues regarding the relative merit of various alternative models and the need for greater clarity in the measure of attitudes are also discussed.