Drinkers‘ perceived negative alcohol-related expectancies: Informing alcohol warning messages

Abstract

Background: Concerned groups are pressuring government bodies to implement warning labels. However, research informed label development is limited and current labels are generic, despite tobacco research revealing targeted messages are more effective. Expectancy research provides a platform to inform message development, however reliance on researcher-driven survey-dependent expectancies has limited findings. This study aims to extend expectancy theory and inform warning label development by identifying negative expectancies that are participant derived and salient to drinkers from specific segments. Method: A New Zealand sample involving 1168 drinkers (651 men) completed an online survey measuring their demographics, their drinking and self-reported negative alcohol expectancies. Thematic analysis resulted in 13 salient expectancies, and differences between segments were examined. Results: Chi-square analyses revealed: heavy drinkers and young adults were characterised by concerns for self (e.g. liver damage); lighter drinkers and older adults by expectancies that could harm others (e.g. violence); females reported greater concern than males with the majority of expectancies. Conclusion: Results extend alcohol expectancy theory by revealing negative expectancies that are salient to drinkers from specific segments. This study delivers the initial steps for systematically informing alcohol warning label development, by identifying expectancies that are likely to be integrated by drinkers.

Keywords:

• Drinkers‘ concerns
• alcohol expectancies
• alcohol warning labels

Declaration of interest

There are no conflicts of interest to report.