With risky alcohol use being a major concern among young adults, there is questions about how relational ethics plays a role. Relational ethics is defined as the assessment of fairness and justice in relationships. It has been found those perceiving unfair relational ethics may be more likely to engage in hazardous drinking. The current study looks at the relationship between alcohol use and relational ethics among college students.
Participants for this study included 421 students above the age of 18 and from a large midwestern university. Researchers asked participants about alcohol use through the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification test (AUDIT). This test includes 10-questions and looks at student’s alcohol consumption along with alcohol-related consequences. Relational ethics was measured using the Relational Ethics Scale (RES) to assess relationships. Examples of these questions included “I could trust my family to seek my best interests” (vertical) and “This person stands beside me in times of trouble or joy” (horizontal).
68% of participants identified as female and 74% identified as white/Caucasian. 55% of the sample were freshman and over half self-reported as being single (54%). Findings showed there were group differences in AUDIT scores for students with Greek involvement and veteran status. There was a statistically significant relationship between vertical and horizontal relational ethics and the AUDIT score. Analysis also showed there was a significant relationship between alcohol use and horizontal relational ethics. Horizontal relational ethics meaning perceived fairness in their romantic relationships. These results show young adults in a dating relationship with trustworthiness and fairness are less likely to participant in risky drinking. Programs on campus that specifically identify relational components that may be playing a role in drinking habits could be beneficial.
Take Away: Relational ethics is defined as the assessment of fairness and justice in relationships. The current study looks at the relationship between alcohol use and relational ethics among college students. Participants for this study included 421 students with measures including the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification test (AUDIT) and the Relational Ethics Scale (RES). There was a statistically significant relationship between vertical and horizontal relational ethics and the AUDIT score along with horizontal relational ethics and alcohol use. Programs on campus that specifically identify relational components that may be playing a role in drinking habits could be beneficial.