Predicting reduction in tension following alcohol consumption in a stressful situation with the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire.

The present study was designed to extend the research designed to evaluate the validity of the subscales of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire. Other previous behavioral studies had investigated the Global Positive subscale as a predictor of alcohol effects (Sher, 1985) and the tension reduction scale as a predictor of choosing an alcoholic beverage (Corcoran & Parker, 1991). While Brown, Goldman, Inn, and Anderson (1980) do not distinguish between different classes of expectancies, current theory (see Kirsch, 1985) highlights the distinction between response expectations (expectation of nonvolitional effects, exemplified in Sher's study) and outcome expectancies (expectations for particular reinforcers given a specific behavior, as in Corcoran and Parker's study). The present study was an investigation of the AEQ Tension Reduction Scale as a predictor of tension reduction in a stressful situation. The results do not lend support to the scale as a predictor of effects from drinking alcohol or expecting to drink alcohol. Results are discussed in terms of potential for future research, and theoretical and practical implications for the AEQ.