Does relationship quality matter? Perceived mutual reciprocity as a moderator between perceived parental approval of drinking and college alcohol use

Abstract

Alcohol misuse among young adult college students remains a major public health problem in USA. Although much effort has been made to identify factors associated with problem drinking among college students, there is a lack of research investigating the role parents may have on college student drinking. Recent evidence indicates that parents matter when it comes to adolescent drinking, both before and after their children go to college. In this study, the authors examined mutual reciprocity as a moderator variable between perceived parental approval of drinking and negative consequences of alcohol use. Contrary to the hypothesized results, our findings indicate that mutual reciprocity does not moderate the relationship between perceived parental approval and negative alcohol-related consequences.