The results from this work have implications on both theoretical and practical levels. On a theoretical level, our results indicate that romantic relationship status may be important to consider in models of alcohol use, similar to the way that Jessor and Jessor's (1977) PBT considers peer factors. Our results indicate that involvement with multiple dating partners is associated with one's proneness to deviant behavior and increases in alcohol use. Furthermore, the indirect effects from parental alcohol problems to dating several people and alcohol use via deviance proneness and positive affect regulation pathways can be capitalized on in prevention and intervention efforts. Knowing that there are these distinct pathways may be important for tailoring preventive interventions that address the diverse etiologies that may contribute to individuals' selection into (or creation of) environments that are related to higher alcohol use.
