Effect of alcohol-related poems on drinking

Abstract

This study explored exposure to literature related to drinking as a potential contributor to alcohol consumption. It focused on literature of classical Chinese poems and lyrics depicting a drinking scenario, or narratives with characters drinking alcohol. These texts were chosen because they are widely accessible to the public that some poems are also taught in the high school curriculum. The main hypothesis was that familiarity with alcohol-related poems would lead to positive attitudes towards drinking and heavier drinking. Knowledge of drinking-unrelated poems as well as cultural knowledge related to drinking were statistically controlled for in order to establish a causal relation that exposure to alcohol-related poems contributed to drinking. 126 individuals recruited through convenience sampling via Facebook participated in an online survey. Respondents were tested on their knowledge of poems related to and unrelated to drinking, and cultural knowledge related to drinking. Respondents also reported their attitudes towards drinking and drinking behaviors including volume of alcohol consumption, drinking frequency, solitary drinking frequency, and binge drinking frequency. By controlling for knowledge of poems unrelated to drinking and cultural knowledge related to drinking, this study eliminated confounding factors and the reverse causal direction that drinking caused enhanced knowledge in drinking-related literature. Regression analyses showed that knowledge of poems related to drinking resulted in positive attitudes and behaviors towards drinking. These results extended past findings to demonstrate the effect of narratives on drinking attitudes and behaviors. The unintended effect of exposure to drinking-related literature promoting drinking attitudes and behaviors should not be overlooked.