Join the Party: Approval-Contingent Self-Worth, Drinking Motives, and Drinking Alone and With Others.

Objective: Research links approval-contingent self-worth to college drinking but has not differentiated social and solitary consumption. High approval-contingent self-worth individuals might drink socially to derive approval.

Method: In a sample of 832 undergraduates, approval-contingent self-worth and drinking motives were measured in an initial questionnaire, and social and solitary consumption were reported daily for 30 days.

Results: Results indicated an overall positive association between approval-contingent self-worth and social consumption and positive indirect effects via social and enhancement motivations, but a negative indirect effect via conformity motivation. The association between approval-contingent self-worth and solitary alcohol consumption was nonsignificant because of a negative direct effect counteracted by a positive total indirect effect.

Conclusions: Results highlight the importance of drinking motives and of distinguishing between social and solitary consumption.