Expectancy challenge and drinking reduction: experimental evidence for a mediational process.
Substantial correlational evidence supports a causal (mediational) interpretation of alcohol expectancy operation, but definitive support requires a true experimental test. Thus, moderately to heavily drinking male college students were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions in a pre-post design: Expectancy challenge (designed to manipulate expectancy levels), "traditional" information, and assessment-only control. Expectancy challenge produced significant drinking decreases, compared with the other 2 groups. Decreases in measured expectancies paralleled drinking decreases in the challenge condition. Significant increases in alcohol knowledge in the traditional program were not associated with decreased drinking. These experimental findings support a causal (mediational) interpretation of expectancy operation. The implications for a cognitive (memory) model of expectancies and for prevention and intervention programs for problem drinking and alcoholism are discussed.
Darkes
J
J
Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa 33620-8200.
Goldman
M S
MS
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012718:Set, Psychology