PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Kana Watanabe
MA-Research
Winter 2008

The Effect of Peer Pressure and Cultural Identity on Drinking of Japanese-Born Males Living in the United States

    The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of cultural identity on peer pressure and anticipated drinking behavior among Japanese-born males.  Sixty-six Japanese-born males were recruited to participate in this study.  Japanese-born males were asked to read several hypothetical vignette describing drinking situations and rate the degree of anticipated peer pressure and drinking behavior they would experience as the protagonist in the vignette.  It was found that there was no relation between cultural identity and peer pressure.  The current study not only confirmed the previously established relation between peer pressure and drinking behavior but also proposed that the relation between peer pressure and anticipated drinking behavior may depend on which cultural group that they identify with.  The strength of cultural identity in predicting behavior was examined and found that cultural identity may play an important role in predicting Japanese-born males’ anticipated drinking behavior.

Psychology Department * CSULB * 1250 Bellflower Blvd. * Long Beach, CA  90840-0901 * 562-985-5001