Evaluation of a treatment-appropriate cognitive intervention for challenging alcohol outcome expectancies

The current study evaluated an alcohol expectancy challenge (E C) that did not require alcohol administration and could therefore be implemented in a treatment setting. Participants in the treatment group directly challenged alcohol expectancies endorsed on an expectancy questionnaire. A total of 62 male and female undergraduates completed the study (32 control participant s, 30 EC participants). Self-report questionnaires were collected pre- and post-intervention, and alcohol logs were kept during the study. The EC resu lted in significant reductions in alcohol expectancies across multiple expe ctancy dimensions. Although the analysis for alcohol consumption was not si gnificant, there was a trend toward better outcomes for male participants i n the EC condition. In contrast to study hypotheses, women in the EC condit ion increased their alcohol consumption from pre to post-test to a greater degree than did control participants. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.