Is it the drinks or the friends?: An experimental study of identity shift as an alcohol-related social media self-effect

Abstract

Prior research has repeatedly found a positive relationship between sharing alcohol references on social media and drinking behavior. This study adds to the literature by testing for alcohol-related self-effects of social media use. We explored attitudes and selfconcept as potential underlying mechanisms, and tested whether it is the depicted alcohol that elicits an effect or depiction of the associated socialness of going out with friends. This preregistered study (N = 178) employed a fully-crossed 3 (drinking presentation: explicit v. implicit v. none)-2 (socialness: with others v. alone) experimental design. A two-way MANOVA using Pillai's trace tested for significant differences in attitudes, drinking and non-drinking identity, and drinking intentions across six self-presentation conditions. Neither an effect of alcohol selfpresentation nor of socialness self-presentation on alcohol-related cognitions were identified. Findings raise important questions about the causality of the relationship between sharing alcohol posts on social media and drinking behavior.