Short-term prospective influences of positive drinking consequences on heavy drinking

Recent literature has indicated the importance of positive psychosocial drinking consequences in college drinking. However, it has not yet been characterized whether prior experiences of positive drinking consequences would predict subsequent drinking, over and above the anticipation of positive outcomes from drinking (i.e., positive alcohol expectancies). Data were drawn from a prospective study in which 256 college students (60% female, 69% White, mean age = 18.90 years [SD = 1.06]) completed one or two online surveys (with an average interval of 33 days [SD = 5.66] between the two surveys). The results of a structural equation model showed reciprocal influences between heavy drinking and positive drinking consequences over time after accounting for demographics, alcohol expectancies, and negative drinking consequences. Experiences of positive consequences at Time 1 significantly predicted heavy drinking at Time 2, and heavy drinking at Time 1 significantly predicted experiences of positive consequences at Time 2. After accounting for the covariates in the model, alcohol expectancies and negative drinking consequences at Time 1 did not predict heavy drinking at Time 2. These findings suggest that actual experiences of positive outcomes from drinking are associated with subsequent heavy drinking, over and above the influence of the anticipation of positive outcomes. The implications of the findings were discussed in terms of the role of positive drinking consequences within a nomological network of correlates and determinants of drinking behavior.