ANXIETY SENSITIVITY AND SITUATION-SPECIFIC DRINKING

To assess the typical drinking situations of high anxiety sensitive in dividuals, relative to low anxiety sensitive individuals, a large samp le of university student drinkers (N = 396) completed the 42-item vers ion of the Inventory of Drinking Situations (IDS-42) and the Anxiety S ensitivity Index (ASI). As hypothesized, AST scores were significantly positively correlated with drinking frequency on the higher order IDS -42 factor of negatively reinforcing drinking situations and not signi ficantly correlated with drinking frequency on the higher order factor of positively reinforcing drinking situations. Also, ASI scores were significantly positively correlated with drinking frequency on the low er order drinking situations factors of Conflict with Others, Unpleasa nt Emotions, and Physical Discomfort. ASI scores were also unexpectedl y significantly correlated with more frequent drinking on the higher o rder factor of temptation drinking situations and with more frequent d rinking on the lower order drinking situations factor of Testing Perso nal Control. These results have important implications for designing e arly prevention and intervention programs for high anxiety sensitive u niversity student drinkers by helping them to develop alternatives to drinking in those situations (e.g., negatively reinforcing drinking si tuations) which place them at greatest risk for alcohol misuse. (C) 19 98 Elsevier Science Ltd.