Alcohol expectancies and their relationship to alcohol use: age and sex differences

Previous studies have demonstrated a correlation between expectancies that adolescents and young adults hold about the effects of alcohol and the amount of alcohol they consume. This study examined age and sex differences in expectancies and alcohol consumption in a sample of 92 older and 83 younger adults. The two groups were administered self-report questionnaires for quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption, and for positive and negative expectancies regarding the effects of alcohol. Results found lower quantities of alcohol consumption per occasion in older adults, but higher frequency of drinking occasions. Older adults reported significantly lower levels of both positive and negative expectancies when compared with the younger sample. Among older women, regression analyses found a significant relationship between negative expectancies and lower alcohol consumption. For older men, positive expectancies showed a positive relationship to consumption, while negative expectancies showed a negative relationship to consumption. For younger women, positive expectancies were related to increased consumption. These findings suggest different strategies based on age and sex in treatment models, which identify expectancies as important components of drinking behavior.