Exploring Why and When Mentors' Drinking Norms Impact Protégés' Alcohol Misuse

Abstract

Drawing on the social cognitive theory, this study investigated the effect of mentors' drinking norms on their proteges' alcohol misuse by focusing on the mediating role of conformity drinking motives and the moderating role of moral disengagement. We conducted a three-wave survey of 148 mentor–protege dyads and found that mentors' drinking norms were positively related to their proteges' alcohol misuse and that this relationship was fully mediated by conformity drinking motives. Moreover, the moderated mediation model revealed that moral engagement strengthens the main effects of mentors' drinking norms on conformity drinking motives and the indirect effects of mentors' drinking norms on proteges' alcohol misuse via enhanced conformity drinking motives. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.