Associations Between Adolescents’ Alcohol-Related Secrecy and Disclosure
with Alcohol Consumption
Amanda Hanrahan, Elizabeth Yale, M. A., Aaron Metzger, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology West Virginia University Life-Span Development
Method
Abstract
• Study examined associations between adolescent information
management (disclosure & secrecy), parenting behaviors (solicitation
& rules), and adolescent alcohol use within a sample of teens who
reported previous consumption of alcohol.
• Adolescent secrecy about alcohol behaviors was associated with
alcohol consumption for boys, not girls.
Background
• Adolescents who consume alcohol have poorer academic performance
and are at increased risk of alcoholism later in life (Comasco et al., 2010).
• Parents’ knowledge of their teens’ activities can protect against teen
problem behavior (Fletcher et al., 2004).
• Parents rely on teens’ disclosure to obtain knowledge of their
behaviors. Teens’ secrecy has been associated with decreased
amounts of parental knowledge (Kerr & Stattin, 2000).
• Less research has examined adolescent secrecy and disclosure of
problem or risk behavior within a sample so of teens who have
engaged in the risk behavior (Metzger et al., 2012).
• Age and gender may moderate the association between
disclosure/secrecy and risk behaviors (Frijns et al., 2010).
• Boys keep more secrets; girls disclose more
• Older teens keep more secrets and disclose less
Measures - Adolescent Report
Alcohol Consumption (4- items; = .88) Assessed amount of alcohol
consumed by adolescents in the past 3 months on a 4-point Likert-type
scale (1 = never, 4 = often). Sample Item: In the last 3 months, how often
have you drank alcohol?
Parent Solicitation (3- items; = .85) Assessed the frequency of
parents’ asking about their teens’ alcohol-related behavior on a 5-point
Likert-type scale (1 = never, 5 = always). Sample Item: How often does
your parent talk to you or ask about: if you drink too much alcohol or get drunk?
Family Rules (3- items; = .84) Assessed the firmness of family rules
about alcohol on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1 = none, 5 = firm).
Sample Item: If I try drinking alcohol with friends?
Disclosure (3- items; = .89) Assessed adolescent disclosure to parents
about alcohol-related behavior on a 5-point Likert-type scale (1 = never,
5 = always). Sample Item: How often do you tell your parents about the
following activities (without them asking): if you try drinking with friends?
Secrecy (3- items; = .86) Assessed secrets adolescents kept from
parents about alcohol - related behavior on a 5-point Likert-type scale
(1 = never, 5 = always). Sample Item: How often do you keep the following
activities secret form parents: if you drink too much alcohol or get drunk?
Results
Table 1. Regression table for predictors of alcohol consumption.
Method
Participants
• 57 adolescents who reported consuming alcohol at least once in the
last year.
• Mage = 15.28
• 68.4% Female, 80.7% White
References
Frijns, T., Keijsers, L., Branje, S., & Meeus, W. (2010). What parents don’t know and how it may affect their
children: Qualifying the disclosure-adjustment link. Journal of Adolescence, 33, 261-270.
Kerr, M., & Stattin, H. (2000). What parents know, how they know it, and several forms of adolescent
adjustment: Further support for a reinterpretation of monitoring. Developmental Psychology, 36(3),
366-380.
Comasco, E., Berglund, K., Oreland, L., & Nilsson, K. W. (2010). Why Do Adolescents Drink? Motivational
Patterns Related to Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol-Related Problems. Substance Use & Misuse,
45(10), 1589-1604.
Fletcher, A. C., Steinberg, L., & Williams-Wheeler, M. (2004). Parental influences on adolescent problem
behavior: Revisiting Stattin and Kerr. Child Development, 75(3), 781-796.
Results
Step 1
Age
Gender
Step 2
Parent Solicitation
Parent Rules
Teen Disclosure
Teen Secrecy
Step 3
Secrecy x Gender
R2*
.22
.29
.36
Alcohol Consumption
F Change
Beta
9.04**
.38**
.19
2.19
.36*
.29*
-.27
.51*
6.70 *
-.55*
Note: R2 = adjusted R; Beta’s are from the final step of the regression; * p <
.05; ** p < .01
• Parents’ rules and solicitation were positively associated with
greater alcohol consumption
• Secrecy about alcohol behaviors is associated with increased
alcohol consumption for boys, not girls.
Discussion
• Both parenting behaviors and teen information management (secrecy
for boys) were associated with teen alcohol consumption.
• Parents’ monitoring strategies about alcohol use were ineffective for
protecting against teen alcohol consumption:
• Parents may be reacting to the knowledge of their teens engagement
in alcohol behaviors by setting more rules and asking more questions.
• Adolescents who have a lot of rules and are more frequently
questioned may feel over-controlled and engage in more alcohol use.
• Adolescent Secrecy:
• Similar to prior findings, boys who actively hide their
alcohol-related activities from parents, consume more alcohol.
• Girls may be using different information management strategies, such
as partial disclosure.
• Future research should investigate different secrecy techniques an
adolescent may utilize with regard to alcohol use.
• Partial disclosure, telling a lie, changing the subject
For further information contact:
Amanda Hanrahan at aharnaha@mix.wvu.edu,
Elizabeth Yale at eyale@mix.wvu.edu,
or Aaron Metzger at Aaron.Metzger@mail.wvu.edu