Alcohol Use in Young Adults: The Influence of Attachment Styles, Alcohol Expectancies, and Metacognitive Beliefs

Alcohol use among young adults has been associated with a range of negative consequences, including poor academic performance, higher risk of accidents, and increased likelihood of developing addictive behaviors. This age group (18-25 years) represents a key public health concern, as a significant proportion report alcohol consumption, and many engage in binge drinking.

This article seeks to examine the relationship between attachment, alcohol expectancies, and metacognitive beliefs with the use of alcohol in young adults.

This study has a correlational research design. The study had 200 participants whose ages ranged between 18 and 25 years, divided into two groups. Group 1 comprising of 100 males and Group 2 comprising of 100 females. The sampling method was Nonprobability type criterion-based sampling. The dependent variable was alcohol use, and the independent variables were attachment style, alcohol expectancies and metacognitive beliefs about alcohol.

The results have indicated significant relationships of positive alcohol expectancies and metacognitive beliefs about emotional self-regulation with the severity of alcohol use. Anxious and avoidant style of attached individuals consumed significantly more than securely attached ones. Moderate risk consumers reported positive expectancies and metacognition as significantly higher than low-risk consumers.

Findings suggest that attachment orientations, alcohol expectancies, and metacognition interact and affect young adults' drinking behaviours. These results suggest that these psychological factors should be considered when designing interventions aimed at eradicating risky drinking behaviours.