ALCOHOL OUTCOME EXPECTANCIES AND COPING STYLES AS PREDICTORS OF ALCOHOL-USE IN YOUNG-ADULTS

This study was designed to examine the pattern and strength of relatio nships among coping styles and alcohol outcome expectancies with regar d to drinking behavior in young adult social drinkers. Quantity and fr equency of weekly consumption were used as criterion measures, and alc ohol outcome expectancies/valences (CEOA: Fromme, Stroot, & Kaplan, 19 93) and coping styles (COPE: Carver, Scheier, & Weintraub, 1989) were used as predictor variables. For males, the expectancy of risk and agg ression, and the valence of cognitive and behavioral impairment, were predictive of drinking behavior. For females, sociability valence and the expectancy of negative self-evaluation positively predicted the al cohol-use measures. With regards to coping styles, alcohol and drug di sengagement and suppression of competing activities uniquely predicted alcohol use in males, whereas alcohol and drug disengagement, turning to religion, and behavioral disengagement were predictive of female a lcohol use. In general, coping styles were more predictive of the alco hol-use measures than were alcohol-outcome expectancies. Practical imp lications of these results are highlighted. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.