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Abstract
The aim was to review the empirical research carried out over the last 15 years on
the characteristics of young people (10- to 25-year olds) who have specific motives
for drinking. In a computer-assisted search of relevant literature, 82 studies were
identified. Concerning demographic factors, a developmental trend was found - from
general, undifferentiated drinking motives in late childhood and early adolescence
to more gender-specific drinking motives in subsequent years. With regard to personality
factors, two specific patterns can be distinguished: extraversion and sensation-seeking
correlate with enhancement motives, while neuroticism and anxiety correlate most strongly
with coping motives. For contextual factors, drinking motives were found to vary across
countries but not among different ethnic groups in the same culture. Based on these
results, preventive strategies should take into account general, undifferentiated
drinking motivation in late childhood, and social and enhancement motives in adolescence,
particularly among boys. Findings on personality indicate that it would be useful
to focus on extraverted, sensation-seeking boys who drink for enhancement motives
and neurotic, anxious girls who drink for coping motives.