Mundt et al (2012) - Contemporary Study

Question 1

What does a stochastic actor-based model (SABM) help researchers understand?

Answer 1

Helps researchers understand the dynamics within social networks such as friendship groups

Question 2

What does SABM assume about small gradual changes and data collection?

Answer 2

Assumes small gradual changes occur between the data collection points, and so the behaviour gathered at each point can give us insight into the gradual changes which we may not have otherwise seen

Question 3

What led Mundt et al to carry out the research?

Answer 3

Mundt wanted to understand what motivates and influences adolescent to start drinking at a young age in order to minimise future risks and develop suitable interventions

Question 4

What were the aims of Mundt et al research?

Answer 4

Do adolescents select friends with similar alcohol is? (selective explanation)

Do adolescents adjust their alcohol consumption to fit with the alcohol consumption levels of their friends (influence explanation )

Question 5

What was the selective explanation in Mundt et al research?

Answer 5

Whereby similar alcohol use among friends is the result of a tendency for adolescents to choose friends with similar alcohol use behaviour and attitudes

Question 6

What was the influence explanation in Mundt et al research?

Answer 6

Whereby teens influence each others drinking

Question 7

Who were the sample in Mundt et al research?

Answer 7

analysed data previously collected from the National Longitudinal study of Adolescent Health (add health study) 1995-1996

Question 8

How was the sample in Mundt et al research selected?

Answer 8

A stratified sample of 7th-12th graders at the 132 participating schools were invited to complete an in-school survey

90,118 US students completed the in-school survey and were eligible for the longitudinal portion of the study which began with an in-home interview and parent study

Question 9

How many students were used in Wave 1 of Mundt et al research?

Answer 9

A total of 2563 students were used in wave 1 of the study

51% were boys 49% girls

Question 10

What did students and parents complete in Wave 1 of Mundt et al research?

Answer 10

Students and parents completed an in-home survey which included questionnaires

Question 11

What did researchers collect in wave 1 of Mundt et al research?

Answer 11

Collected data, including expectations for the future, self-esteem, and risk behaviours such as alcohol use

Question 12

What was one of the questions in Mundt et al research regarding alcohol consumption?

Answer 12

Asked questions about the frequency of alcohol consumptions over the past year:

‘How often did you consume alcohol in the past year?’

Question 13

What happened in wave 2 of Mundt et al research?

Answer 13

One year later, 14,738 participants from wave 1 completed the wave 2 in-home study

Content of wave 2 survey was similar to data collected in wave 1 in ordwe for comparisons to be made

Question 14

What were students in Mundt et al research asked to name?

Answer 14

Given a complete school roster and asked to name their five best male and five best female friends

Question 15

How did Mundt et al measure ‘family bonding’?

Answer 15

Measured ‘family bonding’ by asking:

‘How often do you and your family have fun together?’

Question 16

Who were the analysis sample for Mundt et al reported study?

Answer 16

The study sample for the analysis came from 2563 students from 14 schools

Mean age of 15.8 years

51% boys and 49% girls

Question 17

What were the results of Mundt et al research?

Answer 17

The majority of children either don’t drnk at all or only drank 1-2 times during the year

Slight increase in the number of children reporting they never drank alcohol between the first and second wave of the study

Slight increase in those children reporting drinking on a weekly basis or more often

Question 18

What were the results of evolution of friendship networks in Mundt et al research?

Answer 18

Friendship selection associated with similar alcohol assumption

Adolescents named as their friends, students who drank similarly to them

More likely to choose as friends, students of similar age, gender and ethnicity

No significant correlation between outgoing friendship nominations and alcohol consumption

Significant correlation between the number of incoming friendship nominations and increased consumption

Question 19

What were the results of evolution of alcohol-use behaviours in Mundt et al research?

Answer 19

More frequent drinking by immediate friends was not associated with increased alcohol consumption

Friends didn’t influence each others alcohol intake

Parental use wasn’t associated with adolescent use

Family bonding was a significant protective factor against alcohol use

Question 20

What were the conclusions of Mundt et al research?

Answer 20

Friends have similar drinking behaviours because they select friends who have similar drinking behaviours not because they influence each other once they are friends

Selection explanation for alcohol use is supported by these findings

Question 21

What are the implications of Mundt et al research?

Answer 21

When working with adolescents to change their alcohol use, consideration needs to be given to their social network

Question 22

What are the strengths of Mundt et al research?

Answer 22

Reliability

Psychological knowledge in society

Quantitative data

Secondary data use

Sample size

Ethical

Question 23

What are the weaknesses of Mundt et al research?

Answer 23

Social desirability

Secondary data

Ethnocentric sample

Socially sensitive research

Correlational data

Out of date data

Question 24

Why is reliability a strength of Mundt et al research?

Answer 24

The questionnaires used were standardised allowing replication across many participants and also across two waves of the study

Increases reliability of the findings

Question 25

Why is psychological knowledge in society a strength of Mundt et al research?

Answer 25

Understanding the influences that contribute to drinking behaviour of an adolescent is important to considering how to prevent underage or excessive drinking in the future

Alcohol intervention strategies can be designed, which include encouraging the person to select friendships carefully

Question 26

Why is quantitative data a strength of Mundt et al research?

Answer 26

The use of closed questions on the questionnaire produced quantitative data which was analysed statistically to establish any trends in alcohol use

Comparisons were possible between different year groups and data from Wave 1 and 2 were also compared

Question 27

Why is secondary data use a strength of Mundt et al research?

Answer 27

Using secondary data meant they had access to large amounts of data quickly

Furthermore, they were able to use the raw data from the original study rather than having to look at data that had already been interpreted minimising any bias effects

Question 28

Why is sample size a strength of Mundt et al research?

Answer 28

A large number of students were used and were selected due to being considered representative of the wider American population of this age

This makes the findings more representative to the wide population

Question 29

Why is ethics a strength of Mundt et al research?

Answer 29

Parental consent was obtained prior to the students completing the in-school questionnaire

Furthermore, any sensitive questions during the in-home interview were recorded directly onto a laptop by the student, therefore maintaining confidentiality

Question 30

Why is socially desirability a weakness of Mundt et al research?

Answer 30

Data was derived from self-reports

Possibility that the students may have answered differently from their actual alcohol use to provide socially desirable answers

Participants may have had reservations about disclosing any engagement in such behaviour and as a result, misrepresented their alcohol use

Question 31

Why is secondary data a weakness of Mundt et al research?

Answer 31

Current study didn’t collect their own data, instead used secondary data which can pose questions about the validity of the data being used

Question 32

Why is ethnocentric sample a weakness of Mundt et al research?

Answer 32

May be argued the sample is ethnocentric as it only relates to alcohol consumption in American adolescents thus the findings may not be generalised to alcohol consumption of other cultures

Question 33

Why is socially sensitive research a weakness of Mundt et al research?

Answer 33

Adolescents may feel concerned with how the findings may be used and whether disclosing their drinking habit will lead to problems

Carless generalisations can ultimately lead to a form of social discrimination against adolescents

Question 34

Why is correlational data a weakness of Mundt et al research?

Answer 34

The data presented is correlational

Study only looked at alcohol use as a factor influencing friendship selection, to detriment of any other possible explanation

There are many other reasons why someone may choose a friend, which aren’t captured in this research

Other explanation may have a greater influence on friendship selection than alcohol use

Correlational research, cannot account for other variables that aren’t directly investigated