Chapter 9. Alcohol Expectancies

Alcohol’s behavioral effects stem not only from its impact on brain functioning, but also from the drinker’s expectations. To gain some insight into your alcohol expectancies, complete the Anticipated Effects of Alcohol scale. The scale captures both the valence of emotions (i.e., whether the emotions are positive or negative) and arousal (i.e., high or low) of anticipated alcohol effects.

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ANTICIPATED EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL SCALE

The following is a list of feelings that people may experience after drinking alcohol. People often report different experiences during a drinking episode and after stopping drinking for the night. Therefore, you will be asked to indicate (1) how you expect to feel immediately after drinking 4 or 5 drinks within a 2-hour period and (2) how you expect to feel an hour and half (90 minutes) after finishing your final 4th (female) or 5th (male) drink.

If you have never consumed that many drinks in a 2-hour period, please indicate how you think you would feel in this situation.

On a scale of 0–10 please rate the extent to which you believe you would experience each of these feelings immediately after drinking 4 drinks (female) or 5 drinks (male).

On a scale of 0–10 please rate the extent to which you believe you would experience each of these feelings 90 minutes after drinking 4 drinks (female) or 5 drinks (male).

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, those who can drink alcohol should do so in moderation. That means having up to one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men. This definition refers to the amount of alcohol consumed in one day and is not meant to be averaged over a period of time. Heavy drinking could lead to chronic diseases, unintentional injuries, violence, and alcohol abuse or dependence.

For more information about drinking and health, visit The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) frequently asked questions page here: http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/faqs.htm