Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: The primary objective of the study is to examine the interactive effects of religion and deterrence on patterns of drinking among college students. As indicators of different aspects of religion, we include religiosity, a belief in biblical literalness, and a belief that drinking is a sin. Findings from past studies suggest that the deterrent effects of formal and informal sanctions against drinking might vary by religiosity, such that the inhibitive effect of formal sanctions on drinking is weaker, while the inhibitive effect of informal sanctions is stronger for those who are more religious, because of their stronger moral conviction against drinking. We examine this idea by analyzing a survey data collected from undergraduate students (N=503) from a large southwestern public university which instituted an alcohol ban on campus. The survey was conducted three months after the policy was instituted and students were asked about their intentions to comply with the policy in the future and their perceptions of formal and informal sanctions against drinking. Our preliminary results find support for our hypotheses that there is an interactive effect for religion with deterrence efforts on campus.

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