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Abstract
Alcohol expectancies, i.e. the immediate effects of alcohol anticipated by an individual, have been shown to predict initiation of drinking during adolescence as well as transition from nonproblem to problem drinking. Moreover, cross-sectional studies have revealed that alcohol expectancies are related to both frequency and quantity of alcohol use. However, research has focused almost exclusively on nonclinical samples. While numerous studies have examined alcohol expectancies in college samples, little is known about the expectancies of alcohol-dependent individuals. The present study aimed to expand the research on alcohol expectancies by establishing the factor structure of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ), the most frequently used expectancy scale, in a large sample of alcoholism treatment clients (N = 685). Furthermore, gender differences and the relationship between expectancies and alcohol consumption were examined. Exploratory factor analysis identified two dimensions of alcohol expectancies. Factor one represented alcohol expectancies regarding social assertiveness, self-confidence, and mood management. With two exceptions all items loading on the second factor described alcohol-induced enhancement of sexual feelings. Comparing the findings of the present study with the results of previous expectancy research based on the responses of college students and other nonclinical samples revealed that these factors appear to be relatively uniform across studies. However, item statistics suggested that the structure derived from factor analysis may have been influenced by rate of endorsement. Women scored lower on factor one and the total score than men. Inclusion of the total score in regression analysis added to the prediction of alcohol consumption. The present results suggest that the findings of previous research should be interpreted with caution, since AEQ scores are not comparable across groups.
