Self-Generated Alcohol Outcome Expectancies in Four Samples of Drinkers

Abstract

Research on beliefs about the expected effects of alcohol has suggested a major role for these expectancies in motivating drinking behavior. Measures developed to assess these expectancies, however, are likely to cue subject's responses and may not represent the expected effects that are the most salient for an individual. Expected effects of alcohol were elicited by way of open-ended questionnaires from samples of college students, fraternity members, drunk drivers, and alcoholism treatment clients. The results yielded few sex differences, but large differences between male respondents in the different samples. It is suggested that this measurement technique may be useful in assessing those expectancies that are the most central in individual's belief systems.

Key Words:

• Alcohol
• expectancy