Cathy Lau-Barraco

Evaluation of a single-session expectancy challenge intervention to reduce alcohol use among college students.

In this study, the authors developed and evaluated a single-session experiential expectancy challenge (EC) intervention, seeking to reduce alcohol use by changing key positive expectancies among moderate to heavy drinking male and female college students. Participants (N=217) were randomly assigned to attend a 90- to 120-min EC session, CD-ROM alcohol education, or assessment only. Participants were assessed at pretest, posttest, and 1-month follow-up. Exposure to the EC intervention led to significant decreases in alcohol expectancies and subsequent alcohol consumption in both genders at follow-up. No significant changes were evident in either control condition. This study is the first to effectively decrease expectancies and drinking in college students with a single-session EC intervention. Further, although several studies have demonstrated the utility of the intervention with men, it is the first to do so with women. This study represents a critical step in the process of translating an innovative, theory-based intervention into a more practical format that makes it more accessible to those who seek effective drinking-reduction strategies for college campuses.

Gender differences in high-risk situations for drinking: Are they mediated by depressive symptoms?

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to examine gender differences in the frequency of high-risk drinking situations and to investigate the extent to which depressive symptoms mediate the relationship. METHOD Participants were 143 outpatient alcohol treatment seekers. Each participant completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II and Inventory of Drug-Taking Situations (IDTS) at baseline prior to treatment. RESULTS Multivariate analysis of variance was used to examine gender differences in drinking across eight categories of situations assessed on the IDTS. Mediational analyses tested whether gender differences on these IDTS subscales may be mediated by depressive symptoms. We found support for the hypothesis that women report drinking more than men in response to unpleasant emotions and conflict with others, and that these associations are significantly mediated by depression severity. CONCLUSIONS The current findings have important implications for appropriate treatment for alcohol-dependent women. In particular, such treatment should include training in affect regulation and interpersonal skills, as well as treatment for depression, when appropriate.

Behavioral Inhibition and Activation Systems: Differences in Substance Use Expectancy Organization and Activation in Memory

We used multidimensional scaling to model the semantic network of alcohol and marijuana expectancies (N=897). Preference mapping was used to estimate vectors representing patterns of activation through the network as a function of levels of behavioral inhibition (BIS) and behavioral activation (BAS). Individuals with low BIS combined with high BAS levels exhibited patterns of activation emphasizing behavioral activation similar to heavier drug users in previous research. High BIS, low BAS individuals exhibited activation patterns with greater emphasis on inhibitory expectancies similar to low-level users. Differences in expectancy activation patterns were maintained after controlling for substance use and gender. Individual differences in BIS/BAS are associated with the organization of semantic networks and patterns of activation of expectancies contributing to differences in substance use behavior.

Projected Alcohol Dose Influences on the Activation of Alcohol Expectancies in College Drinkers

BACKGROUND Alcohol expectancies have been linked to drinking behavior in college students, and vary according to a number of factors, including projected dose of alcohol. Research using Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) suggests that drinking may be influenced by activation of differing expectancy dimensions in memory, yet studies have not examined expectancy activation according to projected alcohol doses. METHODS The present study used Individual Differences Scaling (INDSCAL) to map expectancy networks of college students (n = 334) who imagined varied drinking at high and low alcohol doses. Expectancy activation was modeled by dose, as well as by gender and by drinking patterns (typical quantity, blood alcohol content, heavy episodic drinking, and alcohol consequences). Expectancies were organized along positive-negative and arousal-sedation dimensions. Anticipation of a high dose of alcohol was associated with greater emphasis on the arousal-sedation dimension, whereas anticipation of a lower dose was associated with greater emphasis on the positive-negative dimension. RESULTS Across heavy, medium, and light drinkers, expectancy dimensions were most distinguishable at higher doses; activation patterns were more similar across drinking groups at lighter doses. Modest evidence for the influence of gender on activation patterns was observed. Findings were consistent across alcohol involvement indices. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that both dimensionality and context should be considered in the refinement of interventions designed to alter expectancies in order to decrease hazardous drinking.

A qualitative review of psychosocial risk factors associated with caffeinated alcohol use

Caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CABs) are increasingly popular among young adults. The use of such beverages is associated with negative consequences including heavy alcohol use, risky sexual and driving behaviors, as well as other drug use. The prevalence of CAB use and their related harms warrants greater focus into the factors that may explain why use is associated with negative outcomes or what factors may impact their association. Consequently, the present study reviewed existing research on CABs and highlighted constructs (i.e., drinking motives, substance expectancies, perceived drinking norms, risk-taking propensity) that could act as mediators or moderators of CAB use and consequences. We proposed implications for practice and future research.

Caffeinated alcohol consumption profiles and associations with use severity and outcome expectancies.

Growing evidence suggests that the consumption of caffeinated alcoholic beverages (CAB) may be riskier than alcohol alone. Efforts to identify patterns of CAB use and the correlates of such drinking patterns could further our conceptualization of and intervention for this health issue. Consequently, the current study aimed to (1) identify distinct classes of CAB users, (2) examine differences between classes on measures of alcohol and caffeine problems, and (3) compare distinct classes of CAB users on caffeine and alcohol outcome expectancies. Participants were 583 (31% men) undergraduate students from a psychology research pool. Latent profile analysis models were derived using four indicators: CAB use quantity, CAB use frequency, alcohol use quantity, and alcohol use frequency. Finding revealed four classes of drinkers: High Alcohol/High CAB (6.00%), High Alcohol/Moderate CAB (5.15%), High Alcohol/Low CAB (22.99%), and Low Alcohol/Low CAB (65.87%). The Low Alcohol/Low CAB class reported the lowest relative levels of caffeine dependence symptoms, caffeine withdrawal, alcohol use problems, and heavy episodic drinking frequency. Further, results indicated differential expectancy endorsement based on use profiles. CAB users in the High Alcohol/Low CAB class endorsed more positive alcohol expectancies than the Low Alcohol/Low CAB group. Those in the High Alcohol/High CAB class endorsed stronger withdrawal symptom caffeine expectancies than all other classes. Inclusion of substance-specific expectancies into larger theoretical frameworks in future work of CAB use may be beneficial. Findings may inform intervention efforts for those at greatest risk related to CAB consumption.

Environmental context effects on alcohol cognitions and immediate alcohol consumption

The present experimental study sought to demonstrate the effects of environmental context on accessibility of alcohol-related cognitions and immediate alcohol consumption. Fifty-six males were randomly assigned and exposed to either a simulated bar (alcohol contextual prime) or a neutral laboratory (neutral prime). Memory accessibility was measured using implicit memory association measures and immediate drinking behavior was measured unobtrusively using a taste-rating task. Contextually primed participants reported significantly more alcohol-related memory associations to ambiguous stimuli and exhibited significantly greater alcohol consumption than controls. These results strengthen support for the influence of environmental context on retrieval of alcohol cognitions in memory and on drinking behavior. Our findings complement theoretical assertions of the critical role of alcohol cognitions in directly influencing alcohol consumption.

Associations between psychological distress and alcohol outcomes as mediated by time perspective orientation among college students

The present study examined time perspective orientation as an underlying factor in explaining the associations between psychological health and alcohol use outcomes. Participants were 250 college students (182 women) from a mid-size public university. Participants completed measures of time perspective orientation, alcohol consumption and problems, and psychological symptomatology. Mediational analyses revealed that past-negative time perspective acted as an underlying mechanism in the relationships between all psychological symptoms variables (e.g. anxiety, depression) and alcohol-related problems. Our findings indicate that having a pessimistic view of ones past may help explain the positive relationship between poorer mental health symptoms and alcohol-related problems. Intervention strategies could be developed to focus more specifically on time perspective in this population.

Drinking Buddies: Who Are They and When Do They Matter?

The present study sought to further examine the role of peers on alcohol use and problems among young adults. In particular, we focused on a specific subset of peers in ones social network mostly for activities related to alcohol use called “drinking buddies.” The presence of drinking buddies in ones social network has been shown to predict heavy drinking uniquely over time but few studies have focused on potential factors moderating the relationship. Consequently, an aim of present study was to examine the influence of drinking buddies on alcohol outcomes and the extent to which the relationship may be dependent on ones normative perceptions. Another aim was to provide a descriptive examination of drinking buddies. Participants were college students (n = 250; 72.8% women) who completed self-report measures of alcohol use and problems, injunctive norms, descriptive norms and social network characteristics. Results showed that descriptive norms moderated the relationship between drinking buddies and all alcohol outcomes assessed. Specifically, the influence of drinking buddies was stronger for those who perceived a lower prevalence of peer drinking. Examination of drinking buddies characteristics revealed that these peers tended to be young adults who were moderate social drinkers with whom they felt close and perceived to be available for concrete and emotional support. Several differences emerged between the drinking buddies of heavy versus non-heavy drinkers. The present study contributed to the larger body of work on peer influence and alcohol use by examining a specific subgroup of peers that may promote risky drinking.

An examination of risky drinking behaviors and motivations for alcohol use in a college sample

Abstract Objective: The current study examined (1) drinking motives as a mediator of risky drinking behaviors (ie, pregaming and drinking games) and alcohol-related problems and (2) whether gender moderates the association between risky drinking behaviors and negative consequences. Participants: Participants (N = 368; 68% female) were drinkers aged 18 to 25. Data were collected from September to November 2010 and January to May 2011. Methods: Participants completed measures regarding typical pregaming and drinking game alcohol consumption, drinking motives, and alcohol-related consequences. Results: Social, coping, and enhancement motives partially explained relationships, with enhancement motives explaining the most variance for pregaming (31%) and drinking games (44%). Relationships between risky drinking and consequences were not moderated by gender. Conclusions: Drinking to enhance positive affect may be the most salient motivation for drinking related to pregaming and drinking games for college drinkers. Findings have implications for interventions tailored to students engaging in various heavy drinking practices.