Are Adolescents Accurate Reporters of their Alcohol Use?
Author(s): Tamara L. Brown, Rick S. Zimmerman
Abstract: Self-report is the most widely used measurement strategy for assessing adolescent alcohol use, but are adolescent self-reports accurate indicators of actual use? To answer this question, this study investigated the self reporting patterns of 2,795 ninth-graders who participated at baseline in a three year longitudinal study investigating ways to reduce adolescent alcohol use. While most adolescents were consistent in their reports of alcohol use, some were very inconsistent, reporting, for example, in one instance that they had never consumed alcohol and then reporting in another instance that they drank heavily. Self-reported honesty is discussed as a possible strategy that might buttress self-report measurement approaches by distinguishing between adolescents who are likely to be consistent versus inconsistent in self-reporting their alcohol use.
Pages: 17-25
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