Conformity to Masculine Norms and Drinking Behaviours among Adult Men: A Call for More Specificity in Alcohol Research

Research on conformity to masculine norms and drinking behaviours among adult men in the United States and other countries has grown steadily during the past decade. Studies indicate that masculine norms can influence drinking attitudes and behaviours. However, the direction and strength of the associations between masculine norms and alcohol use/negative consequences is not well understood. This presentation will (a) summarize research on masculine norms and their associations with alcohol cognitions and drinking behaviours, (b) present research on alcohol-specific masculine norms and drinking behaviours, and (c) highlight key points regarding the need for more specificity with respect to operationalizing masculine norms and studying their link to drinking behaviours.

Guest speaker

Byron L. Zamboanga, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, USA.
Prof. Zamboanga Directs the Examining Alcohol Reasoning and Norms (E.A.R.N.) Lab. His research program examines sociocultural and cognitive determinants of alcohol use and risky drinking practices (predrinking, drinking games), and alcohol protective behavioral strategies among adolescents and young adults. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (Divisions 50 and 45) and was a Fulbright Scholar (Research) in 2020. He recently guest edited a special issue entitled, “Predrinking and Drinking Games among Adolescents and Young Adults: International Perspectives” for Addictive Behaviors. He has served as an Associate Editor and is currently an editorial board member for multiple peer-reviewed journals. He enjoys traveling, drinking diet Mountain Dew, and vegging out at home while watching sports and Game of Thrones on television.