Which of the following best explains how lying can be part of a valid strategy for staying alcohol-free in social situations?

• A. Lying can help individuals avoid peer pressure by providing a socially acceptable excuse for not drinking, such as claiming to be on medication.
• B. Lying increases stress and is never recommended as a coping strategy for avoiding alcohol.
• C. Lying is a long-term solution that eliminates the need for other coping strategies.
• D. Lying is only effective if used to convince oneself that alcohol is not harmful.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of the problem, which is about strategies to stay alcohol-free in social situations and how lying might play a role.
2. Step 2: Analyze each option by considering psychological principles related to coping strategies, social influence, and peer pressure.
3. Step 3: Recognize that lying can serve as a social tool to deflect peer pressure by providing a plausible excuse, which helps maintain social harmony and personal boundaries without confrontation.
4. Step 4: Evaluate why other options are less valid: lying increasing stress contradicts effective coping; lying as a long-term solution ignores the need for multiple strategies; and lying to convince oneself is more about self-deception than social strategy.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best explanation is that lying can help individuals avoid peer pressure by offering a socially acceptable excuse, such as claiming to be on medication, which aligns with psychological understanding of social coping mechanisms.