Expectations for reinforcement from alcohol use in a clinical sample

To examine differences in expectations for reinforcement from alcohol use between a clinical sample of adult alcoholics and general medical controls, subjects were administered the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire and were interviewed in a structured format assessing levels of alcohol intake. Alcoholic inpatients were found to expect more global positive changes, social assertiveness, social and physical pleasure and tension reduction from alcohol than did general medical controls. The findings were highly consistent with the results of other recent research examining the relation of alcohol expectancies to drinking patterns in alcoholics.