Comparing Positive and Negative Alcohol Expectancies in Male and Female Social Drinkers

The Reciprocal Influences of Perceived Risk for Alcoholism and Alcohol Use Over Time: Evidence for Aversive Transmission of Parental Alcoholism

“…These results are consistent with research suggesting the more distal and severe perceived consequences of drinking, such as becoming an alcoholic, may be more predictive of drinking reductions over long time spans rather than drinking on a given occasion close in time (Noar et al, 2003). Other studies have found that distal negative expectancies may even infl uence the decision to reduce or stop drinking among problem drinkers (Lee et al, 1999;McMahon et al, 1994).…”

“…Few studies have examined the relations between alcohol use and perceived risk for alcoholism-a type of distal negative expectancy. Studies on the relations between negative expectancies and alcohol use have had mixed results (Mann et al, 1987;McMahon et al, 1994;Sharkansky and Finn, 1998), perhaps because these relations are different in the long term than in the short term. Although we did not test the shortterm effects of perceived risk for alcoholism, our fi ndings with a 5-year time lag between assessments indicate inverse relations between perceived risk and drinking over time.…”

“…Studies that have examined the association between negative expectancies and alcohol use have had mixed results (e.g., Jones et al, 2001;McMahon et al, 1994;Sharkansky and Finn, 1998). One reason for these confl icting fi ndings may be that the direction of the relation between negative expectancies and alcohol use depends on whether the negative expectancy being studied is distal or proximal in nature, as well as the time lag between measurements.…”

“…One reason for these confl icting fi ndings may be that the direction of the relation between negative expectancies and alcohol use depends on whether the negative expectancy being studied is distal or proximal in nature, as well as the time lag between measurements. Research has suggested that negative expectancies that are relatively distal (e.g., becoming an alcoholic) rather than proximal (e.g., acting inappropriately) may be better predictors of changes in drinking behavior over longer time spans than they are predictors of immediate decisions about how much to drink on a given occasion (McMahon et al, 1994;Noar et al, 2003). Overall, few studies outside of treatment settings have examined the long-term effects of distal negative expectancies on alcohol use (Watson and Sher, 1998), and even fewer studies have specifi cally examined the effect of perceived risk for alcoholism.…”

“…Alcohol expectancies are often categorized as either positive or negative, depending on whether the expected result is desirable or undesirable (Jones et al, 2001). Moreover, alcohol expectancies are also often described as being either proximal or distal (e.g., McMahon et al, 1994), depending on whether the anticipated effects of alcohol are immediate (e.g., feeling confi dent) or longer term/delayed (e.g., health effects). Because perceived risk for alcoholism refl ects the extent that individuals believe that they will eventually become alcoholic (i.e., a delayed effect rather than immediate effect), perceived risk for alcoholism has been conceptualized as an alcohol expectancy that is both negative and distal (e.g., Noar et al, 2003).…”