Reasons for drinking versus outcome expectancies in the prediction of college student drinking

This study developed a Reasons for Drinking Scale (RFD) with three factorially derived subscales, Social Camaraderie, Mood Enhancement, and Tension Reduction, among a university student sample. These scales were then compared to a measure of alcohol expectancies, the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ), as predictors of several measures of alcohol use. The RFD accounted for more of the variance on all alcohol measures than the AEQ. Results are discussed in terms of reasons for drinking as a more direct assessment of cognitive motivations for drinking than outcome expectancies.

The self-generated alcohol expectancies of Puerto Rican drinkers and abstainers

Using data from an epidemiological study of mainland Puerto Rican drinking, this work compares the self-generated alcohol expectancies of Puerto Rican drinkers and abstainers. While positive expectancies are more characteristic of drinkers, especially "heavy drinkers," negative expectancies are more characteristic of abstainers, especially lifetime abstainers. Results are discussed in terms of the cultural influences on alcohol expectancies and the positivity bias in alcohol expectancy research.

The development of alcohol-related expectancies from the age of 12 to the age of 15 for two Swedish adolescent samples

Two hundred seventy-four Swedish students from grades six through nine participated in the first study. The purpose was to explore whether 12-year-old Swedish students (grade six) have formed alcohol-related expectancies prior to any own extensive drinking experience and whether alcohol-related expectancies change from the age of 12 to the age of 15 (grade nine). Results indicated that expectancies are formed at the age of 12 and that most of the expected effects are positive in nature. From the age of 12 to the age of 15 expectancies develop further in a positive direction. Background variables did not affect the results to any major degree. The results from a second, more heterogeneous sample of 146 students from grade six and grade nine, confirmed the general picture. It was concluded that adolescents do hold positive alcohol-related expectancies and that these expectancies become more positive with increasing age.

Alcohol and outcome expectancies: tolerance for socially nonacceptable behaviors

A questionnaire was administered to 200 college men and women. The instrument contained two identical sets of 45 items, each one describing a socially nonacceptable behavior. Subjects indicated whether their tolerance for the described behaviors was altered if they knew that the person was moderately intoxicated and whether they expected changed tolerance from others for inappropriate social behaviors when they themselves acted under moderate influence of alcohol. The general result indicated both reduced expected and displayed tolerance for alcohol-related social transgressions. This was interpreted as nonsupportive of the "time-out" hypothesis, according to which alcohol intoxication functions as an "excuse" for socially unacceptable behaviors. A minority of the respondents, however, both showed and expected extreme tolerance under alcohol and for this minority the "time-out" hypothesis might be valid.

Is the strength and the desirability of alcohol-related expectancies positively related? A test with an adult Swedish sample

Workers at the Swedish Telephone Company participated in the present study to explore the alcohol-related expectancies for a general sample of Swedish citizens and relate these expectancies to various background factors and whether the expected effects of alcohol also were desired effects. A slightly modified version of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ) was used and data were analyzed in terms of six general factors. Results indicated that men expected more sexual enhancement than women and that high consumers expected more strong effects for all six factors than the low consumers. Men further rated both sexual enhancement, physical and social pleasure, and social assertiveness as more desirable effects than did women, and the high consumers rated all six effects as more desirable than the low consumers. Results are discussed in terms of expectancies as causes of drinking.