ALCOHOL EXPECTANCIES, PROBLEM DRINKING, AND ADVERSE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES

This study evaluated a measure of positive and negative expected effec ts of alcohol and their subjective evaluation in the identification of college freshmen at high risk for problem drinking and associated mor bidities. It was hypothesized that greater expectations of positive ou tcomes and fewer negative evaluations of negative outcomes would be as sociated with reports of heavier drinking and more alcohol-related hea lth problems. College freshmen (n = 328) completed a standardized meas ure of expectations and subjective evaluations of positive and negativ e outcomes associated with drinking, and a questionnaire assessing dri nking patterns and common alcohol-related health problems. Fifty-two p ercent of students were male and the mean age was 17.9 years (SD = 0.5 ). Students' expectations of positive outcomes and their subjective ev aluations of both positive and negative outcomes from drinking were si gnificantly correlated with drinking and alcohol-related health proble ms indices (p < 0.001). Gender, expectation of positive outcomes, and evaluation of negative outcomes explained 29% of the variance in drink ing and 15% of the variance in alcohol-related health problems indices . Heavier-drinking students and those reporting more health problems e xpected more positive effects on their sociability and sexuality (p < 0.03) and were less concerned about cognitive and behavioral impairmen t as a result of drinking (p < 0.001). Students with more health probl ems were less concerned that drinking would lead to risk-taking or agg ressive behavior (p < 0.003). Positive and negative outcome expectanci es and their subjective evaluations accounted for a significant portio n of the variability in drinking and alcohol-related health problems. Attention to these issues may provide insight into an adolescent's mot ivations to drink and may offer a useful approach to interventions tha t facilitate behavior change.