Alcohol expectancies and their relationship to alcohol use: age and sex differences

Previous studies have demonstrated a correlation between expectancies that adolescents and young adults hold about the effects of alcohol and the amou nt of alcohol they consume. This study examined age and sex differences in expectancies and alcohol consumption in a sample of 92 older and 83 younger adults. The two groups were administered self-report questionnaires for qu antity and frequency of alcohol consumption, and for positive and negative expectancies regarding the effects of alcohol. Results found lower quantiti es of alcohol consumption per occasion in older adults, but higher frequenc y of drinking occasions. Older adults reported significantly lower levels o f both positive and negative expectancies when compared with the younger sa mple. Among older women, regression analyses found a significant relationsh ip between negative expectancies and lower alcohol consumption. For older m en, positive expectancies showed a positive relationship to consumption, wh ile negative expectancies showed a negative relationship to consumption. Fo r younger women, positive expectancies were related to increased consumptio n. These findings suggest: different strategies based on age and sex in tre atment models, which identify expectancies as important components of drink ing behavior.