title: Interactive Relationships Between Sex-Related Alcohol Expectancies and Delay Discounting on Risky Sex.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sex-related alcohol expectancies reflect the degree to which a person believes alcohol will affect her or his sexual behavior. Sex-related alcohol expectancies have been found to be predictors of drinking in sexual situations and engagement in risky sexual behavior after drinking. However, less is known about individual characteristics that may moderate these associations. Building upon recent evidence that steep delay discounting is associated with alcohol-related sexual risk taking, this study aimed to test the hypothesis that the associations between sex-related alcohol expectancies and alcohol-related sexual risk taking would be stronger among individuals who discount delayed rewards more steeply.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current sample comprised 126 Emergency Department patients (Mage  = 27.37; 55% male) who reported high-risk alcohol use and sexual behavior during the past 3 months. Sex-related alcohol expectancies were assessed in 3 behavioral domains: increased riskiness, decreased nervousness, and enhanced sexuality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 3 expectancy domains were associated with quantity and frequency of alcohol use, as well as percentage of alcohol-related condomless sex. Delay discounting moderated 2 of these relationships, such that the associations between expectancies for alcohol-induced sexual risk taking and the enhancement of sexuality and percentage of alcohol-related sexual risk-taking were significantly stronger in individuals who exhibited steeper delay discounting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that individuals who both discount delayed rewards more steeply and hold strong sex-related alcohol expectancies are a particularly high-risk population. Such individuals may benefit from a combination of novel preventive strategies targeting sex-related alcohol expectancies and impulsive decision making.
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Celio
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.|Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: MacKillop
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Amy J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Caswell
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Nadine R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Mastroleo
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kahler
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Nancy P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Suzanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Colby
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Operario
authors.affiliation: Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Monti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D065786:Delay Discounting; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D047568:Unsafe Sex / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Delay Discounting; Sex-Related Alcohol Expectancies; Sexual Risk Taking