Alcohol Expectancies Mediate the Relationship Between Age of First Intoxication and Drinking Outcomes in College Binge Drinkers

College students have high rates of heavy drinking, and this dangerous behavior is strongly linked to sexual victimization. Although research has examined risk factors for sexual assault, few studies have simultaneously studied the various pathways through which risks may affect sexual assault and how these pathways may be uniquely different among females and males. As such, the current study uses path analyses to examine whether alcohol expectancies mediate the relationship between social factors (e.g., hooking up, amount friends drink) and drinking behavior and experiencing sexual victimization, and whether drinking behavior mediates the relationship between alcohol expectancies and sexual victimization among a college sample of 704 males and females from a large Midwestern university. For both females and males, sexual victimization was positively associated with child sexual abuse, hooking up more often, and heavier drinking, whereas greater alcohol expectancies were associated with sexual victimization only for females. Several mediating pathways were found for both females and males. Gender comparisons revealed that some of the pathways to sexual victimization such as hooking up, amount friends drink, and housing type operated differently for females and males.

Download Full-text

DO ALCOHOL EXPECTANCIES AND PEER DELINQUENCY/SUBSTANCE USE MEDIATE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN IMPULSIVITY AND DRINKING BEHAVIOUR IN ADOLESCENCE?

Alcohol and Alcoholism ◽

10.1093/alcalc/agh048 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 213-219 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

S. Barnow

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Alcohol Expectancies ◽

Drinking Behaviour ◽

Peer Delinquency ◽

The Relationship

Download Full-text

Poor adjustment to college life mediates the relationship between drinking motives and alcohol consequences: A look at college adjustment, drinking motives, and drinking outcomes

Addictive Behaviors ◽

10.1016/j.addbeh.2011.11.018 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 37 (4) ◽

pp. 379-386 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Joseph W. LaBrie ◽

Phillip J. Ehret ◽

Justin F. Hummer ◽

Katherine Prenovost

Keyword(s):

College Adjustment ◽

Drinking Motives ◽

College Life ◽

Adjustment To College ◽

The Relationship ◽

Drinking Outcomes

Download Full-text

Salience of Alcohol Expectancies and Drinking Outcomes

Journal of Drug Education ◽

10.2190/ru0v-6aya-kdhy-p191 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 43-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Finetta L. Reese

Keyword(s):

Heavy Drinking ◽

Alcohol Expectancies ◽

Hierarchical Regression ◽

Drinking Patterns ◽

Alcohol Expectancy ◽

Regression Analyses ◽

Equal Importance ◽

Total Alcohol ◽

Alcohol Drinking Patterns ◽

Drinking Outcomes

There is a body of research which indicates that endorsement of positive alcohol expectancies predicts alcohol drinking patterns; however, there is inconsistency in the literature regarding which particular alcohol expectancies predict drinking. Although an individual may endorse a variety of alcohol expectancy beliefs, these beliefs may not be of equal importance to drinking decisions. This study investigated whether the prediction of drinking might be enhanced by considering salience of alcohol expectancies rather than mere endorsement. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that expectancy salience significantly improved the prediction of total alcohol consumption above and beyond the effects of expectancy endorsement. Expectancy salience was less effective as a predictor of heavy drinking.

Download Full-text