Differences between personal and general alcohol-related beliefs.

The discrepancy between personal alcohol-related statements and general beliefs regarding alcohol was investigated in a community sample of 283 social drinkers. Discriminant analysis showed that subjects perceived themselves as significantly less dependent than others. "Self" statement responses accurately predicted drinking behavior, as measured by consumption; however, general statements did so less effectively. Medium-heavy drinkers considered others to be dependent on alcohol to change aversive events, suggesting that a self-fulfilling bias may have distorted their perception. For most drinkers the self-other discrepancy seemed best explained by media and societal influences rather than by a self-fulfilling bias model.