An Explanation of Student's Attitude toward Alcohol Consumption from Rational Choice Theory Perspective: A Case Study of Social Science Faculty of Tehran University Students

Within the country, there is evidence of the prevalence of alcohol consumption among young people and students. The major purpose of the present study was to investigate social science faculty of Tehran university students’ attitude toward alcohol consumption and to explain this attitude from Rational Choice Theory perspective. The method of this research was survey and the data collection instrument was a questionnaire. The sampling method was stratified random sampling by gender, and finally the number of 412 respondents (209 male students and 203 female students) were analyzed. Descriptive data shows that 55/6, 37/1, and 7/3 percent of all students, respectively, have the negative, moderate, and positive attitude toward alcohol consumption. Also, there is significant difference between men and women's attitude toward alcohol consumption, as the mean of attitude toward alcohol consumption and all dimensions of it is higher in men than women. The results of multiple regression analysis of attitude toward alcohol consumption and its dimensions has shown that among the eight rational choice variables, with the exception of investment, all variables were significantly related to attitude toward alcohol consumption. The most important determinant of attitude toward alcohol consumption are informal punishment, utilitarian need, moral beliefs and affective ties, respectively. The study variables have been able to explain 71/2 percent of the variations of attitude toward alcohol consumption variable. Providing a measurement for evaluating attitudes toward alcohol consumption and, for the first time, operationalizing of the independent variables based on rational choice theory according to alcohol consumption are among the theoretical achievements of this research.