Citation

Bladt CW. J. Coll. Stud. Dev. 2002; 43(6): 775-791.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2002, American College Personnel Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The current exploratory study was designed to investigate the relationship between student characteristics and drinking behavior from a psychodynamic perspective. Respondents were 181 male and 196 female first-semester college students attending a small, private university in the northeastern United States. Subjects completed the following instruments: the Toronto A lexithymia Scale (Taylor Ryan, & Bagby, 1985), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965), the Bell Object Relations and Reality Testing Inventory (Bell, 1991), and the College Alcohol Survey (Wechsler 1997). Results revealed clear differences in the relationship between ego functioning and drinking behavior for men compared to women. Findings indicate that the meaning of alcohol use may differ for male and female students. Implications for methodology, theory, and practice are discussed.