The Effects of College Students’ Alcohol Resistance Strategies

This study investigated which of four resistance strategies (direct refusal, alternative, excuse, and explanation), varied by presence or absence of face support, were effective in achieving instrumental, relational, and identity goals of the resister. Participants were 132 first- and second-year college students. Trained confederates resisted participants’ persuasive attempts within a simulated small-party interaction. Postinteraction questionnaires measured attraction to the confederate and relational satisfaction. Number of persuasive attempts during the interaction defined the dependent variable for the instrumental goal of resistance. Those persuaders who received resistance strategies with face support were more attracted to their partners and more satisfied with the relationship than were those who received resistance strategies with no face support. Female participants were more attracted to their partners and more satisfied with the relationship than were male participants. No refusal strategy resulted in significantly fewer persuasive attempts. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.