title: Development and Preliminary Validation of the Drinking Expectancy Sexual Vulnerabilities Questionnaire (DESV-Q): A Purpose-Specific Instrument for Rape-Perception Research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Alcohol expectancies likely play a role in people's perceptions of alcohol-involved sexual violence. However, no appropriate measure exists to examine this link comprehensively.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this research was to develop an alcohol expectancy measure which captures young adults' beliefs about alcohol's role in sexual aggression and victimization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two cross-sectional samples of young Australian adults (18-25 years) were recruited for scale development (Phase 1) and scale validation (Phase 2). In Phase 1, participants (N = 201; 38.3% males) completed an online survey with an initial pool of alcohol expectancy items stated in terms of three targets (self, men, women) to identify the scale's factor structure and most effective items. A revised alcohol expectancy scale was then administered online to 322 young adults (39.6% males) in Phase 2. To assess the predictive, convergent, and discriminant validity of the scale, participants also completed established measures of personality, social desirability, alcohol use, general and context-specific alcohol expectancies, and impulsiveness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Principal axis factoring (Phase 1) and confirmatory factor analysis (Phase 2) resulted in a target-equivalent five-factor structure for the final 66-item Drinking Expectancy Sexual Vulnerabilities Questionnaire (DESV-Q). The factors were labeled (1) Sexual Coercion, (2) Sexual Vulnerability, (3) Confidence, (4) Self-Centeredness, and (5) Negative Cognitive and Behavioral Changes. The measure demonstrated effective items, high internal consistency, and satisfactory predictive, convergent, and discriminant validity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The DESV-Q is a purpose-specific instrument that could be used in future research to elucidate people's attributions for alcohol-involved sexual aggression and victimization.
authors.affiliation: a School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Louise Charlotte
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Starfelt
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.|c Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Ross McD
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: a School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: a School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.|d Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety, Queensland University of Technology , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Gavan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000067290:Behavior Rating Scale; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol expectancy; Australia; sexual coercion; sexual vulnerability; young adults