AN EXPERIMENTAL TEST OF AFFECT, SUBJECTIVE CRAVING, AND ALCOHOL OUTCOME EXPECTANCIES AS MOTIVATORS OF YOUNG-ADULT DRINKING

Research on motivations for alcohol use suggests that both positive an d negative affect, craving, and outcome expectancies are good predicto rs of alcohol consumption. The present study tested the utility of the se variables in predicting laboratory measures of alcohol consumption among young social drinkers. Two conditioning models of alcohol procur ement guided analyses: the conditioned withdrawal model (represented b y negative affect and craving) and the appetitive-motivational model ( represented by positive outcome expectancies and subjective evaluation s). Results showed that negative affect and craving did not significan tly influence either subjects' latencies to begin drinking or speed of consuming one placebo beverage. Positive outcome expectancies and eva luations, however, had a marked impact on speed of drinking. Thus, the appetitive-motivational model appears to better characterize the drin king patterns of young social drinkers than does the conditioned withd rawal model.