A Replication and Extension of the Factor Structure of the Masculine Drinking Norms Measure (MDNM) and Associations with Drinking Behaviors in a Multisite Sample of College Men.

Abstract

Gender-specific norms are learned, which can influence social norms, attitudes, and behaviors in specific situations. For example, men who conform to certain masculine norms/ideals may express their masculinity by drinking alcohol. Recent research indicates that endorsement of alcohol-specific masculine norms is mixed when predicting men's risk for heavy consumption and adverse alcohol-related outcomes. Using a large, college sample of self-identified men (n=1350; M _age=20.10/SD=1.80; 12 universities), we examined the psychometric properties of the Masculine Drinking Norms Measure-MNDM, and the extent to which the masculine drinking norms of excess (e.g., "real men can drink heavily") and control (e.g., "men should maintain control when they drink") are associated with alcohol use and negative drinking consequences over and above demographic correlates of alcohol use (age, fraternity membership, athletic involvement) and general, non-alcohol focused masculine norms (Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory-29). Consistent with hypotheses and prior research, we found evidence for a two-factor solution (excess and control) for the MDNM with excellent model fit. Multivariate analyses indicated that excess was positively associated with alcohol use and negative drinking consequences (adjusting for alcohol use) while control was not significantly related to either outcome. Excess was also the strongest correlate of alcohol use (with the exception of fraternity membership) and negative drinking consequences (with the exception of alcohol use and risk-taking). Overall, our findings provide further evidence for the utility of the masculine drinking norm of excess in predicting alcohol use and negative drinking consequences over and above demographic factors and general masculine norms among college men.