Youth Drinking: The impact of socialisation agents and personal attitudes on alcohol consumption ...

154 Pages·2017·1.94 MB·English

Youth Drinking:
The impact of socialisation agents and
personal attitudes on alcohol consumption
among the youth in South Africa

Kagiso Matjila

A research study submitted to the Faculty of Commerce, Law and
Management, University of the Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Strategic Marketing
(MMSM)
Wits Business School
May 2017
DECLARATION

 The work in this dissertation is my own original work.

 All of the sources which were used or referred to have been documented
and acknowledged.

 This dissertation has not been previously submitted in full or partial
fulfillment of the requirements for an equivalent or higher qualification at any
other recognised education institution.

___________________________________

Kagiso Boitumelo Matjila

Signed at ……………………………………………

On the……………………………day of………………………2017

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DEDICATION

I should like to dedicate this research report and the completion of the Master of
Management Degree to my parents, Prof. Maila John Matjila and May Matjila
– thank you for inspiring me to continuously strive to live my life as best as I
can.
Your continuous prayers and overwhelming support has carried me through this
journey, and I will forever be grateful for that. This is just the start. May the
good Lord keep you both with me long enough to see all my other plans
materialise.

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ACKNOWLEGDMENTS
I owe a great deal of gratitude to many people for supporting me in this journey
to complete this research paper and the Masters in Management – Strategic
Marketing degree.
I should like to thank Dr Yvonne Saini, my dissertation supervisor, without
whom I should never have completed this research. I am grateful for your
support and commitment to the completion of this study.
To the Wits Business School Faculty, MMSM Program Director, subject-matter
Lecturers, and Programme Administrators, thank you for your support,
dedication and for the knowledge presented on the course. A special mention
goes to Professor Richard Chinomona who provided guidance, and expertise in
the areas of statistical analysis for the purpose of this research.
I should also like to thank my fellow MMSM 2016 Cohort members who
participated in the course, as the healthy competition and your motivation
helped to bring me to this point. I should like to thanks all participants who took
part in my research. My greatest appreciation goes to my syndicate group
members and members of “The Core”. Those late nights in the syndicate
rooms and social sessions across the road marked some of my highlights of
this journey.
Lastly, but by no means the least important, I should like to acknowledge my
family; parents and brother. Words cannot begin to express the special place
you hold in my heart. Thank you for always believing in me, giving me words of
encouragements, and supporting me throughout the years.
I am eternally grateful.
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ABSTRACT
The research investigated the impact of three socialisation agents (i.e.
advertising, parents and peers) and personal attitudes on alcohol consumption
among South Africa youth. There is a growing concern of the high and year-on-
year increase in alcohol consumption in the country which has not only been
linked to social ills such as crime, violence, sexual abuse, but also to health
concerns. Of greater concern is the ever growing penetration of alcohol
consumption among young people. The South African government has pledged
its support to the World Health Organisation to reduce the harmful use of
alcohol; and appointed an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to develop
programs that seek to reduce alcohol-related harm. The findings generated
from this study provide insights into social influences and social interventions
that might assist in reducing the harmful use of alcohol.
The research employed a quantitative approach and was cross-sectional in
design. Non-random quota sampling was employed and a total of 300 youths
from Gauteng were issued with self-administered questionnaires. The young
people were at different life stages; students, blue and white collar workers.
Using SPSS 22 and AMOS 22 software programs, structural equation
modelling (SEM) was performed to analyse the data set. The results revealed
that personal attitude, peer influence, and advertising exposure have positive
and significant influences on youth alcohol consumption. Parental influence
had a positive, yet weak and unimportant, effect on youth alcohol consumption.
The implication of the results in this study is that government, alcohol
manufacturers and the community at large need to consider, and possibly
prioritise, other harmful uses of alcohol interventions and address personal
attitudes that young people have developed to reduce the effects of peer
pressure.
Key words: youth, alcohol consumption, alcohol advertising, parental influence, peer influence,
attitudes, socialisation agents, harmful use of alcohol

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION ......................................................................................... i
DEDICATION ii
ACKNOWLEGDMENTS .......................................................................... iii
LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................ viii
LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................... x
1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................. 1
1.1 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY........................................................................................ 1
1.2 CONTEXT OF THE STUDY ........................................................................................ 1
1.3 WHAT INFLUENCES YOUTH ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ................................................. 6
1.4 PROBLEM STATEMENT ........................................................................................... 9
1.4.1 MAIN PROBLEM ....................................................................................................................9
1.4.2 SUB-PROBLEM 1 ............................................................................................................... 10
1.4.3 SUB-PROBLEM 2 ............................................................................................................... 12
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ............................................................................... 12
1.6 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY .............................................................................. 14
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS ......................................................................................... 15
1.8 ASSUMPTIONS .................................................................................................... 16
2 LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................. 17
2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 17
2.2 LEARNING THEORIES ........................................................................................... 17
2.3 SOCIAL LEARNING/COGNITIVE MODEL .................................................................. 18
2.3.1 CONDITIONING .................................................................................................................. 18
2.3.2 PROBLEM SOLVING ............................................................................................................ 19
2.3.3 IMITATION AND IDENTIFICATION .......................................................................................... 19
2.3.4 USE OF SYMBOLS .............................................................................................................. 19
2.4 CONSUMER SOCIALISATION THEORY .................................................................... 20
2.4.1 COGNITIVE ABILITY ............................................................................................................ 20
2.4.2 SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................... 21
2.5 FACTORS INFLUENCING ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ................................................... 23
2.6 THE INFLUENCE OF ADVERTISING .......................................................................... 25
2.6.1 HOW ADVERTISING WORKS ................................................................................................ 26
2.6.2 ALCOHOL ADVERTISING AND CONSUMPTION ........................................................................ 28
2.6.3 SOUTH AFRICA AND THE ADVERTISING OF ALCOHOL ............................................................ 31
2.7 PARENTAL INFLUENCE ......................................................................................... 33
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2.7.1 PARENTAL ALCOHOL USE ................................................................................................... 34
2.7.2 ALCOHOL SPECIFIC PARENTING (RULES AND ATTITUDES) ..................................................... 36
2.8 PEER INFLUENCE ................................................................................................ 37
2.9 PERSONAL ATTITUDES ........................................................................................ 39
2.9.1 ATTITUDE FORMATION ....................................................................................................... 41
2.10 CONCEPTUAL MODEL AND HYPOTHESIS STATEMENT .............................................. 42
2.11 CONCLUSION OF LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................. 43
3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ....................................... 45
3.1 RESEARCH STRATEGY ......................................................................................... 45
3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN ............................................................................................. 47
3.3 POPULATION AND SAMPLE SELECTION .................................................................. 48
3.3.1 TARGET POPULATION ........................................................................................................ 48
3.3.2 SAMPLE METHOD AND SAMPLING SIZE................................................................................. 49
3.4 DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT ........................................................................... 51
3.4.1 STRUCTURE OF RESEARCH DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT ................................................ 51
3.4.2 RESEARCH INSTRUMENT ITEMS AND SOURCE ...................................................................... 53
3.5 PROCEDURE FOR DATA COLLECTION ..................................................................... 57
3.5.1 QUESTIONNAIRE DISTRIBUTION AND COLLECTION METHOD ................................................... 57
3.5.2 PILOT RESEARCH .............................................................................................................. 58
3.5.3 ETHICAL CONSIDERATION WHEN COLLECTING DATA ............................................................. 58
3.6 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION .................................................................. 60
3.6.1 DATA PROCESSING ........................................................................................................... 60
3.6.2 RESEARCH DATA ANALYSIS: STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELLING ........................................ 62
3.6.3 STATISTICAL SOFTWARE APPROACH ................................................................................... 63
3.6.4 TESTING FOR HYPOTHESIS ................................................................................................. 64
3.7 RESEARCH RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY MEASURES ................................................... 65
3.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY .................................................................................. 67
3.8.1 TECHNICAL LIMITATIONS .................................................................................................... 67
3.8.2 ADMINISTRATIVE LIMITATIONS ............................................................................................ 68
3.9 CONCLUSION OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY......................................................... 68
4 PRESENTATION OF RESULTS .................................... 70
4.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 70
4.2 SAMPLE DESCRIPTION ......................................................................................... 70
4.3 QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS .................................................................................... 73
4.3.1 ALCOHOL ADVERTISING EXPOSURE .................................................................................... 73
4.3.2 PARENTAL INFLUENCE ....................................................................................................... 76
4.3.3 PREDICTOR VARIABLE 3: PEER INFLUENCE ........................................................................ 82
4.3.4 PREDICTOR VARIABLE 4: PERSONAL ATTITUDES ................................................................. 87
4.3.5 OUTCOME VARIABLE: SELF-REPORTED ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ......................................... 90
4.4 STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELLING APPROACH ................................................... 94
4.4.1 RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY TESTS IN CFA ........................................................................... 95
4.4.2 PATH MODELLING ............................................................................................................. 96
4.4.3 SUMMARY OF MEASUREMENT ACCURACY STATISTICS ........................................................ 96
4.4.4 STRUCTURAL MODEL TESTING ......................................................................................... 101
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4.4.5 HYPOTHESIS TESTING...................................................................................................... 102
4.5 CONCLUSION OF PRESENTATION OF RESULTS ..................................................... 104
5 DISCUSSION OF RESULTS ........................................ 106
5.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 106
5.2 ADVERTISING EXPOSURE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ....................................... 107
5.3 PARENTAL INFLUENCE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ........................................... 108
5.4 PEER INFLUENCE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION .................................................. 108
5.5 PERSONAL ATTITUDE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ............................................ 109
5.6 SUMMARY OF OVERALL ANALYSIS OF HYPOTHESES TESTING RESULTS .................... 110
6 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............... 111
6.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 111
6.2 OVERVIEW OF FINDINGS ..................................................................................... 111
6.2.1 ADVERTING EXPOSURE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ...................................................... 112
6.2.2 PARENTAL INFLUENCE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ........................................................ 112
6.2.3 PEER INFLUENCE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ............................................................... 113
6.2.4 PERSONAL ATTITUDE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ......................................................... 113
6.3 CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS OF THE STUDY ................................................. 114
6.3.1 ADVERTISING EXPOSURE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ................................................... 114
6.3.2 PARENTAL INFLUENCE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ........................................................ 114
6.3.3 PEER INFLUENCE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ............................................................... 115
6.3.4 PERSONAL ATTITUDE AND ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION ......................................................... 115
6.3.5 OVERALL IMPLICATION OF THE STUDY ............................................................................... 115
6.4 RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................... 116
6.4.1 RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE INFLUENCE OF ADVERTISING EXPOSURE AND ALCOHOL
CONSUMPTION ...................................................................................................................................... 116
6.4.2 RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE INFLUENCE OF PARENTAL INFLUENCE AND ALCOHOL
CONSUMPTION ...................................................................................................................................... 117
6.4.3 RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE INFLUENCE OF PEER INFLUENCE AND ALCOHOL
CONSUMPTION ...................................................................................................................................... 117
6.4.4 RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE INFLUENCE OF PERSONAL ATTITUDE AND ALCOHOL
CONSUMPTION ...................................................................................................................................... 118
6.4.5 OVERALL RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................... 118
6.5 LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE STUDIES ..................................................................... 120
6.6 SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ 120
REFERENCES ..................................................................................... 122
APPENDIX 1: RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE ................................... 136

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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 2.1: A Conceptual Model of advertising, parental, peer group influence,
and on personal attitudes and youth alcohol consumption, adopted from
Roedder’s model of consumer socialisation stage (Roedder, 1999). ............... 42
Figure 4.1: Predictor variable 1 results: Reported alcohol advertising exposure
......................................................................................................................... 75
Figure 4.2: Predictor variable 2 results: Parental influence – parental usage .. 78
Figure 4.3: Predictor variable 2 results: Parental influence - parenting:
parenting (attitudes) ......................................................................................... 79
Figure 4.4: Predictor variable 2 results: Parental influence - parenting (drinking
in their presence) ............................................................................................. 80
Figure 4.5: Predictor variable 2 results: Parental influence - parenting (drinking
while they are not present) ............................................................................... 81
Figure 4.6: Predictor variable 2 results: Parental influence - parenting (drinking
with friends)………………………………………………………………………… .. 82
Figure 4.7: Predictor variable 3 results: Peer influence - usage ...................... 84
Figure 4.8: Predictor variable 3 results: Peer influence -– attitude: (positive
peers’ attitude) ................................................................................................. 85
Figure 4.9: Predictor variable 3 results: Peer influence - attitude:
(encouragement from peers) ............................................................................ 86
Figure 4.10: Predictor variable 3 results: Peer influence – attitude: (complying
with peers’ attitude) .......................................................................................... 87
Figure 4.11: Predictor variable 3 responses: Personal attitude ....................... 89
Figure 4.12: Outcome variable results: Self-reported alcohol consumption .... 91
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Figure 4.13: Outcome variable results: Self-reported consumption: drinking at
home ................................................................................................................ 92
Figure 4.14: Outcome variable results: Self-reported alcohol consumption:
drinking at restaurant/bar ................................................................................. 93
Figure 4.15: Outcome variable results: Self-reported alcohol consumption:
drinking at clubs or events ................................................................................ 94
Figure 4.16: Structural model ......................................................................... 102

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