Fears of Evaluation, Honor Concerns, and U.S. Region: Predicting Alcohol Use Problems Among College Students

BACKGROUND: Alcohol misuse is a public health concern, especially among young adults. Young adults in college are at greater risk for binge drinking and alcohol-related problems than young adults who are not in college. We examined the interplay between fears of evaluation-fear of negative evaluation (FNE) and fear of positive evaluation (FPE)-and culturally grounded evaluation concerns in predicting alcohol use and related problems such as adverse legal, academic, and health outcomes. METHODS: Participants were 596 predominately White, female undergraduates from two US universities in Southeastern (collectivist honor-oriented) and Midwestern (individualist-oriented) regions, who were asked to rate trait FNE and FPE, alcohol problems, drinking quantity, and negative emotions in response to (a) three honor culture-specific insult vignettes and (b) three individualistic culture-specific insult vignettes. RESULTS: Across both samples, culturally grounded evaluation concerns regarding family honor and competence were inversely related to alcohol use problems. Moderation analyses revealed that high "masculine"-typed honor concerns (about being perceived as protective and hardy) strengthened both the FNE-alcohol use problems and FPE-alcohol use problems relationships among Southern students only, consistent with honor culture values that prioritize protectiveness and caution against offending others. For Midwestern students, the FNE-alcohol use problems relationship was the strongest when "masculine" honor concerns were low, and the FPE-alcohol use problem relationship was the strongest when individualistic concerns about appearing competent as a student were low. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight the importance of assessing culturally sensitive evaluation concerns, and severity of trait fears of evaluation, in furthering understanding of alcohol misuse and related problems among college students.