Alcohol-related cognitions among children aged 2-12: Where do they originate from and how do they develop?

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of recent evidence concerning alcohol-related cognitions (knowledge, norms/attitudes, and expectancies), including from where they originate early in life and how they develop as children grow older. Such an investigation of young children's alcohol-related cognitions is imperative as knowledge begins to be established before drinking is initiated; with what children observe and learn about alcohol at a young age a formative factor leading to future drinking behaviour. This chapter reviews and explores the often-inconsistent research on what young children know and how they learn about alcohol by exploring dominant theoretical perspectives (e.g. social learning theory) and the range of influences (e.g. parents) on alcohol-related cognitions.