Expectations about Appropriate Drinking Contexts: comparisons of parents, adolescents and best friends*

Summary One hundred and six adolescents, their parents and the adolescent's best friend were separately asked their expectations about the social and motivational aspects of contexts for drinking alcohol. Convivial and utilitarian dimensions were recognized, with all groups tending to support drinking in social‐convivial rather than personal‐utilitarian contexts. Comparison of parents, sons and the son's best friend revealed that sons and their male friends held similar expectations, and were more likely than mothers and fathers to support drinking at celebrations for birthdays, graduations, job promotions and on receiving good news. Sons and their friends also supported drinking on occasions with friends or groups of people more than did parents. Fewer differences emerged in the standards reported by both parents, daughters and their best friends. Where differences did emerge, daughters and their best friends supported drinking at some celebrations. Results suggest a greater number of differences and sources of conflict in the norms about drinking contexts held by parents and their sons, than parents and their daughters.