Personality characteristics ascribed to young women who drink alcohol.

Abstract

This study employs an implicit personality rating methodology from marketing research (the "shopping list" method) to investigate young adults' perceptions of young women who drink alcoholic beverages. Whereas there were some differences in perceptions of young women drinkers across the alcohol brands, the greatest differential in the personality ratings was caused by the mere presence or absence of alcohol. Young women who drink alcohol were described as being more "interesting" and "self-assured" than young women who do not drink. These positive traits were reliably ascribed to young women drinkers by both young adult men and young adult women and more strongly by those who themselves drink. Although it is possible that young women drinkers really are differentially interesting and self-assured, a more likely contributor to these perceptions is advertising aimed at the female drinker.