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Murray GE, Palfai TP, Kratzer MPL, Maisto SA, Simons JS. Sexual alcohol expectancies moderate the relation between alcohol use and sexual behavior among men who have sex with men. Alcohol 2023:S0741-8329(23)00345-2. [PMID: 38101524 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND HIV transmission remains a significant health concern for men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. Heavy episodic drinking (HED) is related to increased rates of condomless anal intercourse (CAI) among MSM, though evidence suggests that this association may vary by individual difference factors. The present secondary analysis tested whether sexual alcohol expectancies (SAEs) moderate the associations between frequency of HED and anal intercourse (AI) with and without a condom among moderate-to-heavy drinking HIV- MSM. METHODS Two hundred and forty-eight moderate-to-heavy drinking MSM completed self-report questionnaires including the Sexual Behavior Questionnaire, the Modified Daily Drinking Questionnaire, and the Sexual Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire. RESULTS Negative binomial regressions indicated that SAEs moderated the association between frequency of HED and AI with a condom, but not between the frequency of HED and condomless AI (CAI). CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that stronger SAEs play a role in alcohol-related sexual behavior among MSM, but do not provide evidence that SAEs are associated with increased risk for HIV transmission through CAI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace E Murray
- Boston University, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston, MA.
| | - Tibor P Palfai
- Boston University, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston, MA
| | - Maya P L Kratzer
- Boston University, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston, MA
| | | | - Jeffrey S Simons
- Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
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2
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Lorenz TK. Sexual excitation and sex-linked substance use predict overall cannabis use in mostly heterosexual and bisexual women. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2021; 47:433-443. [PMID: 34114916 PMCID: PMC8380726 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2021.1922429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Background: Bisexual and mostly heterosexual women report higher substance use than exclusively heterosexual or lesbian women. In sexual minority men, sex-linked substance use (SLSU) can increase risk for substance use problems; equivalent research in women is lacking.Objectives: To test if sexual excitation and inhibition mediate the association between sexual minority status and women's SLSU.Methods: We surveyed a convenience sample of 595 undergraduate women who identified as exclusively heterosexual (n = 499), mostly heterosexual (n = 59), or bisexual (n = 37). Participants reported on their last month use of alcohol, cannabis, and other drugs (e.g., cocaine) in sexual and non-sexual contexts, and symptoms of alcohol and non-alcohol drug use disorders (e.g., withdrawal symptoms). Drug use symptoms were collapsed across non-alcohol substances. We used structural equation modeling to test serial mediations of women's SLSU and overall drug and alcohol use.Results: Bisexual and mostly heterosexual women reported higher cannabis use (η2 = 0.030) and drug use disorder symptoms (η2 = 0.050) than heterosexual women. Mostly heterosexual women's SLSU was a stronger predictor of alcohol use (η2 = 0.019) and binge drinking frequency (η2 = 0.015) than for other orientation groups. Bisexual and mostly heterosexual women's higher sexual excitation predicted their higher SLSU, which in turn predicted higher cannabis use frequency and drug use disorder symptoms. However, sexual inhibition failed to mediate either SLSU or overall substance use.Conclusion: These findings point to SLSU as a mechanism by which sexual minority women may experience disparities in substance use related harms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tierney K Lorenz
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain, Biology & Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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3
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Willis M, Marcantonio TL, Jozkowski KN. Internal and external sexual consent during events that involved alcohol, cannabis, or both. Sex Health 2021; 18:260-268. [PMID: 34134817 DOI: 10.1071/sh21015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Substance-involved sexual activity is common. Even though people recognise that substance-related impairment can be a barrier to people's ability to consent to sexual activity, most do not believe that substance use automatically negates sexual consent. We extended previous work on substance-related effects on internal and external consent by investigating sexual events that involved alcohol, cannabis, or both. METHODS For 28 days, 113 participants (MAge = 29.2 years, 57.5% women, 70.8% White) responded to three surveys per day on their personal devices. At time points when participants reported having engaged in partnered sexual activity, they were asked to report their alcohol use, cannabis use, internal consent feelings, and external consent communication. RESULTS Across 1189 partnered sexual events, 31.5% involved alcohol, cannabis, or both. Sexual events that involved combined use were associated with diminished feelings of safety/comfort and feelings that the sexual act was consensual, compared with events that involved neither substance. Greater levels of alcohol consumption were descriptively associated with lower ratings of internal sexual consent. CONCLUSIONS We found that combined use of alcohol and cannabis may lead to lower internal sexual consent than using either substance alone - potentially due to greater levels of impairment associated with polysubstance use. Sexual health education programs should consider more nuanced approaches to teaching people how to navigate substance use and sexual consent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malachi Willis
- University of Glasgow, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow, UK; and Corresponding author.
| | - Tiffany L Marcantonio
- University of Arkansas, Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, Fayetteville, AR, USA; and Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Kristen N Jozkowski
- Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Bloomington, IN, USA; and Indiana University, Department of Applied Health Sciences, Bloomington, IN, USA
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Ford JV, Choi J, Walsh K, Wall M, Mellins CA, Reardon L, Santelli J, Hirsch JS, Wilson PA. Using a Daily Diary Approach to Examine Substance Use and Negative Sexual Experiences Among College Students. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2021; 50:277-287. [PMID: 32394112 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-020-01714-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
This article examined substance use and sexual behavior by conducting an analysis of college students' reported behaviors using a daily diary approach. By isolating particular sexual events across a 2-month period, we examined situational predictors of engagement in sex and of negative sexual experiences (coerced sex and/or sex that lacks perceived control) for college men and women. Data come from the daily diary sub-study of the Sexual Health Initiative to Foster Transformation. These data include 60 days of daily responses from 420 undergraduates at one New York City institution. This was a relatively diverse sample comprised of 49% women, 28% identifying as non-heterosexual, 60% non-white, and a roughly equal number of college freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Analyses examined the effects of alcohol use, binge drinking, marijuana use, and other drug use on sexual experiences. Between-person and within-person substance uses were related to an increased likelihood of having at least one sexual encounter during the study period. After adjusting for each participants' average substance use, both the number of alcoholic drinks consumed (AOR 1.13 (1.05-1.21)) and binge drinking scores (AOR 2.04 (1.10-3.79)) increased the likelihood of negative sex. Interaction analyses showed that compared to men, women were more likely to use alcohol and marijuana prior to sexual encounters. Given that sex and substance use are co-occurring, current prevention approaches should be paired with strategies that attempt to prevent negative sexual experiences, including sexual assault, more directly. These include consent education, bystander training, augmentation of sexual refusal skills, and structural change. Efforts promoting increased sex positivity might also help make all students, and women in particular, less likely to use substances in order to facilitate sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie V Ford
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168 St., New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Jean Choi
- Mental Health Data Science, Departments of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kate Walsh
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Melanie Wall
- Mental Health Data Science, Departments of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Claude Ann Mellins
- Division of Gender, Sexuality and Health, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leigh Reardon
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168 St., New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - John Santelli
- Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer S Hirsch
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168 St., New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Patrick A Wilson
- Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168 St., New York, NY, 10032, USA
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Thompson EL, Litt DM, Griner SB, Lewis MA. Cognitions and behaviors related to risk for alcohol-exposed pregnancies among young adult women. J Behav Med 2020; 44:123-130. [PMID: 32944846 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-020-00183-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This study assessed alcohol and sex-related cognitions and behaviors, including alcohol-related sexual expectancies, descriptive norms, and protective behavioral strategies, associated with women's risk for an alcohol-exposed pregnancy. A national sample of young adults ages 18-20 years was subset to women who were capable of pregnancy and sexually active (n = 422). The outcome was risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancy as determined by contraceptive status and heavy-episodic drinking. SAS version 9.4 was used to estimate logistic regression models. Alcohol-related sexual expectancies related to enhancement were significantly associated with increased odds of alcohol-exposed pregnancy risk. In contrast, women who reported the use of more safe sex (non-condom related) protective behavioral strategies (e.g., talk to partner about birth control use) were at decreased odds of alcohol-exposed pregnancy risk. Future interventions to reduce the risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancies should consider alcohol-related sexual expectancies and safer sex protective behavioral strategies as leverage points.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika L Thompson
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA.
| | - Dana M Litt
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Stacey B Griner
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
| | - Melissa A Lewis
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX, 76107, USA
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Lee CM, Fairlie AM, Ramirez JJ, Patrick ME, Luk JW, Lewis MA. Self-fulfilling prophecies: Documentation of real-world daily alcohol expectancy effects on the experience of specific positive and negative alcohol-related consequences. PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS 2019; 34:327-334. [PMID: 31804099 DOI: 10.1037/adb0000537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol expectancies are consistently associated with alcohol use in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. However, little research has examined whether alcohol expectancies on specific drinking occasions are associated with reported consequences on those days, particularly when controlling for the amount of alcohol consumed, thus differentiating the extent to which reported consequences may have resulted from alcohol or an "expectancy effect." This study examined consequence-specific daily expectancy effects. College students (N = 342; mean age 19.7 [standard deviation (SD) = 1.25], 52.9% female) participated in a longitudinal measurement burst study. During four 2-week intervals, participants used mobile phones to respond to 3 surveys per day via automated telephone interviews. The results showed that on days when college students had higher-than-average expectancies for specific subjective positive consequences (e.g., feeling more relaxed, being in a better mood), they were more likely to report experiencing those same consequences as a result of their alcohol use that day, even after controlling for how much they actually drank on that day. The same held true for subjective interpersonal negative consequences (e.g., becoming aggressive, rude, or obnoxious; embarrassing oneself), but not for less subjective physical/cognitive negative consequences (e.g., having a hangover, vomiting, getting hurt/injured, forgetting). The results suggest that one's expectations about the particular effects of alcohol tend to be self-fulfilling for subjective effects of alcohol even when they are not directly tied to the physiological effects of alcohol. The findings underscore the important role of alcohol expectancies, particularly the expectation of subjective positive social and tension-reduction/relaxation effects, in understanding problematic alcohol use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Megan E Patrick
- Institute for Translational Research in Children's Mental Health
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7
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Testa M, Brown WC, Wang W. Do Men Use More Sexually Aggressive Tactics When Intoxicated? A Within-Person Examination of Naturally Occurring Episodes of Sex. PSYCHOLOGY OF VIOLENCE 2019; 9:546-554. [PMID: 32999754 PMCID: PMC7523876 DOI: 10.1037/vio0000186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Men's alcohol use has been linked to sexual assault perpetration. Yet, it is unknown whether within naturally-occurring sexual encounters men use more sexually aggressive tactics when they are intoxicated. The present study considered whether college men's perceived intoxication at the time of sex increased their self-reported use of verbal persuasion, physical force, and encouraged intoxication of partner as tactics to convince a woman to have sex. METHOD As part of a 56-day daily report study, 298 college freshman males reported 1,832 episodes of sexual activity with female partners. Using multilevel modeling, we considered the within-person effects of subjective intoxication, sexual precedence (new versus previous partner), and perceived partner sexual interest on male use of sexually aggressive strategies within each sexual encounter. We also considered whether the impact of event-specific intoxication was moderated by individual differences in hostility toward women, delinquency, and impersonal sex. RESULTS Greater subjective intoxication at the time of sex predicted greater use of verbal persuasion and encouraging intoxication of partner. Although intoxication did not predict physical force directly, there were indirect effects via greater verbal persuasion and encouraging partner intoxication. Event-specific intoxication did not interact with any of the individual difference variables and only hostility toward women contributed positively to use of event-specific sexually aggression. CONCLUSIONS Men's intoxication at the time of sexual activity increases their use of sexually aggressive strategies within naturally-occurring sexual encounters. Findings help to explain the robust relationship between alcohol use and sexual assault found in college populations.
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8
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Moderated Mediation of Perceived Intoxication and Sexual Arousal on Determinants of Sexual Risk Behavior in Men Who Have Sex with Men. AIDS Behav 2019; 23:1460-1470. [PMID: 30430343 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-018-2343-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral interventions remain the preferred strategy for reducing HIV-related risk behavior among men who have sex with men (MSM), one of the populations most affected by HIV. To improve intervention efforts, research is needed to identify cognitive-motivational factors that may play a role in sexual risk behaviors among MSM. This study sought to replicate and extend previous work from a heterosexual population that identified a serial mediation effect of perceived intoxication and subjective sexual arousal in the relationship between alcohol consumption and determinants of sexual risk in a population of MSM. Exploratory moderated mediation analyses tested subjective sexual arousal as a moderator of the indirect effect of alcohol consumption on determinants of sexual risk via perceived intoxication. Participants (N = 117 MSM, ages 21-50) were randomly assigned to one of six experimental conditions based on two manipulations: beverage condition (alcohol, placebo, or control) and sexual arousal (low or high). Dependent measures were likelihood to engage in risky sex and condom negotiation skills. Results did not support the serial mediation effect but showed some support for the moderated mediation model in the prediction of behavioral skills. Implications for alcohol and arousal myopia theories of risky behavior and HIV prevention efforts are discussed.
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9
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Wolkowicz NR, Ham LS, Zamboanga BL. What you think and where you drink: Context, alcohol outcome expectancies, and drinking behavior. Addict Behav 2019; 93:225-232. [PMID: 30772775 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Noah R Wolkowicz
- Department of Psychological Science, 216 Memorial Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States.
| | - Lindsay S Ham
- Department of Psychological Science, 216 Memorial Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, United States
| | - Byron L Zamboanga
- Department of Psychology, Smith College, Northampton, MA 01063, United States
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Carey KB, Guthrie KM, Rich CM, Krieger NH, Norris AL, Kaplan C, Carey MP. Alcohol Use and Sexual Risk Behavior in Young Women: A Qualitative Study. AIDS Behav 2019; 23:1647-1655. [PMID: 30311105 DOI: 10.1007/s10461-018-2310-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use and sexual behavior co-occur frequently in young women, increasing risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. To inform preventive interventions, we used qualitative methods to better understand how women think about the contribution of alcohol use to sexual risk-taking. Young women (N = 25; M = 22.8 years; 64% White) were recruited from a community-based reproductive health clinic to attend focus groups; a semi-structured agenda was used to investigate both a priori explanatory mechanisms as well as participant-driven explanations for the alcohol-sex association. Women reported that alcohol reduced their social anxiety, helped them to feel outgoing and confident, and lowered inhibitions and other barriers to sexual encounters (consistent with alcohol expectancies). During drinking events, women described being less concerned with risks, less discriminating regarding sexual partners, and less likely to insist on safer sex practices (consistent with alcohol myopia). These empirical findings support previous theory-based guidance for tailoring preventive programs for alcohol use and sexual risk reduction for young women.
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Currin JM, Hubach RD, Croff JM. Sex, drugs, & rurality: A brief qualitative analysis of rural gay and bisexual men’s substance use sex expectancies. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/14659891.2019.1581284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M. Currin
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Randolph D. Hubach
- Center for Rural Health, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Julie M. Croff
- Center for Rural Health, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USA
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12
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Herbenick D, Fu TCJ, Dodge B, Fortenberry JD. The alcohol contexts of consent, wanted sex, sexual pleasure, and sexual assault: Results from a probability survey of undergraduate students. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2019; 67:144-152. [PMID: 29652650 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2018.1462827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine, in a probability sample of undergraduate students, characteristics of students' most recent sexual experiences (including alcohol use) as well as their experiences with nonconsensual sex. PARTICIPANTS In January and February 2015, 22,046 students were invited to participate in an anonymous, cross-sectional, Internet-based survey; 7,032 surveys were completed (31.9%). METHODS Measures included background characteristics (age, gender, sexual orientation), most recent sexual event items (sexual pleasure, wantedness, alcohol use), and experiences with nonconsensual sex (since college and lifetime). RESULTS Respondents reporting sober consensual sex were more likely to report higher levels of sexual pleasure and wantedness. Nonconsensual oral, vaginal, or anal penetration occurring during college were reported by 15.8% of women and 7.7% of men. Students more often told friends, partners, or family members and rarely disclosed to university faculty or police. CONCLUSIONS Implications for campus policy and health education are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debby Herbenick
- a Center for Sexual Health Promotion , Indiana University School of Public Health , Bloomington , Indiana , USA
| | - Tsung-Chieh Jane Fu
- a Center for Sexual Health Promotion , Indiana University School of Public Health , Bloomington , Indiana , USA
| | - Brian Dodge
- a Center for Sexual Health Promotion , Indiana University School of Public Health , Bloomington , Indiana , USA
| | - J Dennis Fortenberry
- b Division of Adolescent Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine , Indianapolis , Indiana , USA
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Lac A, Brack N. Alcohol expectancies longitudinally predict drinking and the alcohol myopia effects of relief, self-inflation, and excess. Addict Behav 2018; 77:172-179. [PMID: 29049894 PMCID: PMC5701836 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Alcohol myopia theory posits that alcohol consumption attenuates information processing capacity, and that expectancy beliefs together with intake level are responsible for experiences in myopic effects (relief, self-inflation, and excess). METHODS Adults (N=413) averaging 36.39 (SD=13.02) years of age completed the Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol questionnaire at baseline, followed by alcohol use measures (frequency and quantity) and the Alcohol Myopia Scale one month later. Three structural equation models based on differing construct manifestations of alcohol expectancies served to longitudinally forecast alcohol use and myopia. RESULTS In Model 1, overall expectancy predicted greater alcohol use and higher levels of all three myopic effects. In Model 2, specifying separate positive and negative expectancy factors, positive but not negative expectancy predicted greater use. Furthermore, positive expectancy and use explained higher myopic relief and higher self-inflation, whereas positive expectancy, negative expectancy, and use explained higher myopic excess. In Model 3, the seven specific expectancy subscales (sociability, tension reduction, liquid courage, sexuality, cognitive and behavioral impairment, risk and aggression, and self-perception) were simultaneously specified as predictors. Tension reduction expectancy, sexuality expectancy, and use contributed to higher myopic relief; sexuality expectancy and use explained higher myopic self-inflation; and risk and aggression expectancy and use accounted for higher myopic excess. Across all three predictive models, the total variance explained ranged from 12 to 19% for alcohol use, 50 to 51% for relief, 29 to 34% for self-inflation, and 32 to 35% for excess. CONCLUSIONS Findings support that the type of alcohol myopia experienced is a concurrent function of self-fulfilling alcohol prophecies and drinking levels. The interpreted measurement manifestation of expectancy yielded different prevention implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Lac
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, USA.
| | - Nathaniel Brack
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, USA.
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