The Preoccupation with Alcohol Scale: development and validation

The purpose of the present study was to develop a psychometrically sound measure of preoccupation with alcohol in a group of young, heavy drinking men and to examine some correlates of this drinking style. A brief Preoccupation with Alcohol Scale (PAS) was derived that exhibited substantial internal consistency. Data from a sample of the 67 males indicated that higher PAS scores were significantly related to alcohol consumption and frequency of intoxication within many different contextual circumstances. The PAS was also related to alcohol problems after controlling for average daily alcohol consumption and frequency of intoxication, suggesting that scores on the PAS are related to, but not redundant with, level of alcohol consumption. Results from a cross-validation sample provided additional support for these findings. The authors suggest that a preoccupation with alcohol may be a cognitive-behavioral risk factor for the development of severe alcohol problems and alcoholism.