Personality, alcohol expectancies, and drinking motives have been identified as key factors affecting alcohol use and drinking patterns in college populations (Cooper et al., 2000; Katz et al., 2000; Kuntsche et al., 2008). To date, most research has focused on the mediating effects of motives to drink, rather than expectancies of drinking, on the relation between personality and alcohol use. The current study examined the mediating effects of both alcohol expectancies and motives on the relation between personality and alcohol use, specifically looking at the strength of these mediating variables in a sample of full-time college students. Two-hundred and seventy five undergraduate students completed an online questionnaire assessing personality (extraversion and neuroticism), alcohol expectancies (positive and negative), drinking motives (enhancement, coping, and social), and patterns of alcohol use (frequency and intensity). Results found small-to-moderate relations among study variables, with limited mediating effects of expectancies and motives.

This study contributes new literature to the small, but growing body of research regarding Asian-American college drinking. This study sought to discover how ethnicity mediates the relationship between alcohol expectancies, personality traits, and alcohol use. Participants were 843 incoming freshman at a private university who self-identified as either Caucasian (78.8%) or Asian (21.2%). Participants were asked to complete a demographics questionnaire, the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation Scale (BIS/BAS), and the Alcohol Expectancy Inventory (AEI). Chi-square tests were used to examine differences in rates of heavy episodic drinking. One-way MANCOVAs were used to examine differences in alcohol expectancies, and one-way ANCOVAs were used to examine personality traits between the two ethnicities. Lastly, path analyses using logistic regression and multiple regression models were used to identify pathways to alcohol use with ethnicity as a potential mediating variable. Results indicate that Asians drank less than Caucasians, initiated drinking at a later age, and abstained more from alcohol compared to their Caucasian counterparts. For those that reported drinking behavior in the past 90 days, 55.8% of Caucasians met criteria for HED, compared to 34.0% of Asians. Although Asians had far less HED behavior, there were no significant differences in alcohol expectancies or personality sensitivities between the two ethnicities. The results highlight that Asian-American college students, who have generally been labeled as "model minorities", may activate the same expectancies as Caucasian college students. Ethnicity was found to be a mediating variable between the Social, Woozy, and Dangerous expectancies and alcohol use, but was not a mediator for the other five expectancies. Attractive and Woozy expectancies were found to be significant mediators between behavioral activation sensitivities and alcohol use. Dangerous, Sick, and Egotistical expectancies were found to be significant mediators between behavioral inhibition sensitivities and alcohol use. Although these two groups share similar factors predictive of alcohol use, these findings demonstrate that there are nuanced differences in how ethnicity is a mediating factor between expectancies (social, woozy, dangerous), personality traits, and alcohol use. College prevention and intervention efforts should be focused on culturally-sensitive programs targeting specific expectancies.

Drug abuse and addiction are common in clinical practice. Often they interfere with patient treatment or require an alternative approach. Drug Abuse and Addiction in Medical Illness: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment is a major contribution to the literature, a gold standard title offering a comprehensive range of topics for those who care for patients with addiction, conduct research in this area, or simply have an interest in the field. Offering state-of-the-art information for all those working with drug abusing or addicted patients, or for those interested in this topic from other research perspectives, the volume is a first of its kind book -- rich, comprehensive, yet focused, addressing the needs of the very active theoretical, basic, and clinical research in the field. Comprised of 46 chapters organized in four sections and developed by the leading international experts, Drug Abuse and Addiction in Medical Illness: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment covers virtually every core, as well as contemporary, topic on addiction, from the established theories to the most modern research and development in the field. Enhancing the educational value of the volume, every chapter includes an abstract and two boxes summarizing learning objectives and directions for future research. Drug Abuse and Addiction in Medical Illness: Causes, Consequences, and Treatment discusses the topic in a authoritative, systematic manner and is an indispensable reference for all clinicians and researchers interested in this rapidly changing field.

Nearly two thirds of full-time college students report alcohol use (Hingson, 2009). Previous research has identified risk factors that place college students at higher risk for problematic alcohol use (Hingson, 2009; Johnston et al., 2003; Marlatt et al., 2002). The present study examined the relationship between three personality traits, alcohol expectancies, alcohol consumption, and negative consequences of drinking among community college students.

Introduction: The excessive consumption of alcohol by college students is a major public health problem in the U.S. Heavy alcohol use has been linked to numerous consequences ranging from less serious effects (i.e.., hangovers) to death. Decades of research have linked certain beliefs, attitudes or motivations to drinking behavior but intensive prevention efforts based on these ideas have done little to mitigate this issue. Much of the past research has focused on the interplay of cognitive factors (i.e., expectancies, motivations) and typical drinking patterns (i.e., quantity or frequency of drinking during the past year). Unfortunately, examining the relationship between “general” motives, expectancies, or use of protective strategies and “typical” drinking is not adequate to understand behavior as it occurs. Therefore, the need to understand drinking at the event-level is critical. To this end, this study examined a conceptual model of college students’ drinking events in order to determine the potential mediating effect of drinking motives and protective behavioral strategies in the relationship between alcohol expectancies and event-level alcohol use and consequences. Methods: An existing dataset containing information about 2,279 college student drinking events was analyzed for this study. Students completed surveys during the administration of a commercial online alcohol course during 2010 and 2011. These surveys contained measures of typical alcohol expectancies, drinking motives, and use of protective behavioral strategies. Students also provided detailed information about their last drinking event that occurred within seven days prior to the course. A theoretical model that examined the mediating influence of these cognitive factors and typical use of protective strategies on event-level alcohol use was analyzed with structural equation modeling. Results: The hypothesized causal ordering was supported by the findings. Both typical use of protective strategies and drinking motives mediated the relationship between expectancies and event-level alcohol use and problems. Positive expectancies was associated with greater positive motives, greater motives were associated with less use of PBS, and less PBS use was then, in turn, associated with higher event-level intoxication. Lastly, higher intoxication was associated with more serious consequences during the event. Discussion: In order to develop effective prevention that can be implemented during an event, the role of expectancies, drinking motives, and protective strategies needs to be considered in tandem. This is the first study to simultaneously explore the relationship between these factors and event-level drinking. There is a great need to continue to further explore the dynamic nature of drinking at the event-level to illuminate potential leverage points amendable to change.

This instructive manual presents a pragmatic and clinically proven approach to the prevention and treatment of undergraduate alcohol abuse. The BASICS model is a nonconfrontational, harm reduction approach that helps students reduce their alcohol consumption and decrease the behavioral and health risks associated with heavy drinking. Including numerous reproducible handouts and assessment forms, the book takes readers step-by-step through conducting BASICS assessment and feedback sessions. Special topics covered include the use of DSM-IV criteria to evaluate alcohol abuse, ways to counter student defensiveness about drinking, and obtaining additional treatment for students with severe alcohol dependency. Note about Photocopy Rights: The Publisher grants individual book purchasers nonassignable permission to reproduce selected figures, information sheets, and assessment instruments in this book for professional use. For details and limitations, see copyright page.