As noted above, agentic goals moderated perceived peer approval/use of cigarettes, and communal goals moderated perceived peer approval/use of alcohol. Thus, our findings support differences in how social goals may operate with respect to the early stages of cigarette and alcohol use. Cigarette smoking in early adolescence may be considered less normative and more taboo than alcohol (Unger & Rohrbach, 2002), and this is consistent with our findings suggesting stronger intentions to drink alcohol than to smoke cigarettes and with the prototypical images adolescents have of smokers (rebellious, mature, cool) and drinkers (social, fits in). Projecting an image of rebelliousness and maturity by smoking may be viewed as a viable means of achieving high agentic social goals. In contrast, alcohol, being more acceptable among the broader peer culture, may be viewed as less likely to achieve the desired social goals of agentic adolescents. On the other hand, communal adolescents place a high value on solidarity and belongingness, and consequently, may view cigarette use as being too divergent with the broader peer culture and unlikely to aid them in achieving their communal social goals. Alcohol use may be more desirable for communal adolescents who are motivated to fit in and belong.
