Cross-cultural generalizability of a cusp catastrophe model for binge drinking among college students. Nonlinear Dynamics Psychol Life Sci 2008 Oct;12(4):397-407
Date
09/04/2008Pubmed ID
18765073Scopus ID
2-s2.0-54149106133 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 19 CitationsAbstract
We examined whether a cusp catastrophe model for binge alcohol consumption by college students that was reported earlier (Smerz & Guastello, 2008) could generalize to another culture. Participants were 130 undergraduates enrolled in economics courses at a private urban Japanese university. They completed the same questionnaire items that were used in the previous US study. For some analyses, a stratified random subsample was taken from the earlier US data that was comparable in number, age, and gender proportions (N = 132). Results for the combined sample showed essentially the same results that were obtained from the US sample: Binge drinking can be modeled as a cusp catastrophe with two stable states of behavior - low to moderate consumption and binge level consumption. The two control parameters were peer influence (bifurcation) and attitude toward alcohol use (asymmetry). The nonlinear models (average R2 = .74) accounted for considerably more variance in binge drinking and other alcohol consumption indices than the comparison linear models (average r2 = .18 ). There were some subtle differences between the two samples of students, however.
Author List
Guastello SJ, Aruka Y, Doyle M, Smerz KEAuthor
Stephen Guastello BA,MA,PhD Professor in the Psychology department at Marquette UniversityMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Alcoholic IntoxicationAlcoholism
Attitude
Cross-Cultural Comparison
Cross-Sectional Studies
Culture
Female
Health Surveys
Humans
Japan
Linear Models
Male
Nonlinear Dynamics
Peer Group
Social Conformity
Social Facilitation
Students
United States
Young Adult
