title: Alcohol primes, expectancies, and the working self-concept.
abstract: Previous research has shown that alcohol consumption can lead to momentary changes in the self-concept (e.g., Steele & Josephs, 1990). In two studies (n = 150), we examined whether the implicit activation of alcohol expectancies (i.e., sociability-related expectancies) would also lead to changes in self-perception. To test this idea, participants first completed a measure of sociability-related alcohol expectancies. In a subsequent laboratory session, participants were exposed to either alcohol-related primes (i.e., pictures or words associated with alcohol) or neutral primes. After the priming task, participants completed an ostensibly unrelated self-concept survey that contained words related to sociability (e.g., "outgoing") and nonsociability related words (e.g., "clever"). For both studies, results revealed that sociability-related alcohol expectancies were positively associated with sociability-related self-concept ratings for participants exposed to alcohol primes, but not for participants exposed to the neutral primes. Implications for the role implicit self-concept activation may have on drinking behaviors are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, USA. Joshua.hicks@gmail.com
authors.forename: Joshua A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Schlegel
authors.forename: Ronald S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Denis M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: McCarthy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D001244:Association; D003463:Cues; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012718:Set, Psychology; D012919:Social Behavior; D055815:Young Adult