The 5 types of college drinkers
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Amid the recent coverage of binge drinking and alcohol-control campaigns comes a study reprinted in the Washington Post about the 5 different types of drinkers.
It was paid for by the Ad Council and The Century Council. Notice how the various drinkers see themselves -- especially the heavy ones.
Captains of Control: 25%
These folks consider themselves "future focused, responsible and in control," so they consume the fewest number of drinks at one time or in a typical week. Two out of three say they rarely or never end up drunk.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Savvy Sippers : 21%
These drinkers are "steady, cautious and sensible." They like to go out, but they don't consume much. They are less likely to pre-game than other drinker types and only half sometimes get drunk.
Malleable Moderate: 23%
These are "adaptable, persuadable and laid back." They go out less often than some drinkers, but when they do, they drink a lot. Nearly half said that they sometimes end up drunk -- and they can be peer pressured.
Easily Swayed Swiggers:18%
Mostly younger college males, they're "extroverted, agreeable and easily influenced." Drinking helps them fit in -- even when they don't feel like drinking. They binge drink about three times a week, and 38 percent always or often end up drunk.
Copious Confidents: 12%
Older males and leaders of whatever group they're in, they're call themselves "directed, experienced and self-assured." They frequently go out and have the highest consumption rates. They binge drink about four times a week, and 44 percent say they always or often end up drunk.
The study had other interesting findings on:
What's considered too much. 30% of college students define drinking "too much" as going out too many nights per week. 22% define it as drinking too much at one time. And 47% said both.
Peer pressure. 13% said it heavily influenced how much they drank.
Drink specials. 47% of students said they led to over-consumption.