Laboratory-based tasks of impulsivity and related constructs can be useful in predicting alcohol use. Performance on these tasks is generally assumed to reflect traits that remain stable across situations. However, several studies have indicated that manipulations of state-like variables (e.g., mood or stress) can influence levels of impulsivity demonstrated on the tasks. Furthermore, environmental context (in the form of physical setting, or contextual cues) has a demonstrable effect on tasks relevant to alcohol-related risky behaviors (e.g., ad lib drinking tasks). Importantly, this effect of context on behavior is dependent on the individual's alcohol expectancies. It is unknown, however, whether alcohol-related cues would lead to greater risk taking on a commonly used laboratory-based risk task, and whether this effect would be moderated by alcohol expectancies. These hypotheses were tested in a sample of undergraduate social drinkers. Results indicated that participants who viewed an alcohol prime did not perform significantly more riskily on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task than those who viewed a non-alcohol prime. While mean levels of risk taking were higher following the alcohol prime, the difference did not approach significance; the priming condition-by-expectancy interaction was also not significant.

Behavioral economic accounts of substance use have provided a novel framework to examine constraints that affect behaviorally driven outcomes. Several behavioral studies support the application of such frameworks to examine impulsive decision-making processes as well as how subjective reward influences substance use. Based on stimulus-response models, behavioral economic research often applies mathematical formulas to draw conclusions about behavioral outcomes. These mathematical formulas, while useful, largely ignore decades of cognitive psychology research that have examined state-based influences (e.g., mood, environment, motivational processes, etc.) on behavioral sequelae. To address this issue, the present study merged a cognitive framework into two behavioral economic measures: a delay discounting measure and an alcohol purchase task. Specifically, cognitive priming techniques were used to examine how contextual influences differentially affect outcomes on these behavioral economic measures using a wide range of drinkers. Our results suggest that both negative and positive alcohol-related cognitions affected outcomes on the alcohol purchase task, but not the delay discounting task. Specifically, participants in the negative and positive alcohol-related priming conditions spent significantly more money on alcohol overall, were willing to pay higher prices for standard drinks, and were willing to continue drinking at escalating prices relative to participants in priming conditions unrelated to alcohol use. Although alcohol expectancies were not related to either behavioral measure, our overall findings further emphasize the complementary interplay of cognition and behavior that account for alcohol use and related behaviors.

Recent research has shown that sexual activity may be influenced by variables suggested by evolutionary theory, such as pheromonal cues. A recent study in our laboratory indicated that female pheromones influence men’s drinking and approach behavior based on hidden pathways of behavioral influence caused by chemosensory signals. The current study sought to examine whether a link exists between male pheromones and women’s drinking and approach behavior, through the use of a possible male sex pheromone called androstenone, and sought to examine this link within the context of a women’s ovulation cycle. One hundred and three female participants were primed with either androstenone or a control scent and then completed measures assessing their beer consumption, approach behavior, and ovulatory phase. Results of the study indicated that females who were exposed to the androstenone prime drank significantly more than those exposed to the control prime, though results indicated no differences between groups in terms of approach behavior. No interaction effects existed between group condition and ovulatory phase on beer consumption or approach behavior; however, a limited amount of participants were ovulating when they completed the study, as indicated by a biological assay. The results from the current study implicate a specific pathway to alcohol use through biological signals within a sexual context. The findings from this study expand the existing literature on olfactory and pheromone signaling of sexual behavior in humans and shed light on newly uncovered biological pathways of influence on human behaviors.

abstract: Past research suggests that both Alcohol Expectancies and Subjective Response are strong predictors of drinking. However, most studies do not account for the shared variance or relations between the two. Social cognitive and expectancy theories suggest that cognitions may distort reality, creating a discrepancy between expected and subjective effects. Only one study has tested the effects of such discrepancies (Morean et al., 2015), but that study was cross-sectional, making it impossible to determine the direction of effects. As such, the present study sought to test prospective associations between expectancy-subjective response interactions and future drinking behavior. Participants (N=448) were randomly assigned to receive alcohol (target blood alcohol alcohol =.08 g%) or placebo, with 270 in the alcohol condition. Alcohol expectancies and subjective response were assessed across the full range of affective space of valence by arousal. Hierarchical regression tested whether expectancies, subjective response, and their interaction predicted follow-up drinking in 258 participants who reached a blood alcohol curve of >.06 (to differentiate blood alcohol curve limbs). Covariates included gender, age, drinking context, and baseline drinking. High arousal subjective response was tested on the ascending limb and low arousal subjective response on the descending limb. High arousal positive expectancies and subjective response interacted to predict future drinking, such that mean and low levels of high arousal positive subjective response were associated with more drinking when expectancies were higher. High arousal negative expectancies and subjective response also interacted to predict future drinking, such that high levels of high arousal negative subjective response marginally predicted more drinking when expectancies were lower. There were no interactions between low arousal positive or low arousal negative expectancies and subjective response. Results suggest that those who expected high arousal positive subjective response but did not receive many of these effects drank more, and those who did not expect to feel high arousal negative subjective response but did in fact feel these effects also drank more. The results suggest that challenging inaccurate positive expectancies and increasing awareness of true negative subjective response may be efficacious ways to reduce drinking. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Psychology 2020

Impulsivity-related traits explain a significant and meaningful level of variance in the prediction of drinking behavior. Previous research has demonstrated that although risk taking propensity has been conceptualized as a "trait-like" construct, there are contextual and situational factors that affect an individual's likelihood of engaging in risk taking behavior, including drinking behavior. Despite the well-established relationship between alcohol use and risk behavior (e.g., risky sexual behavior, physical assault, etc.), it is unclear how alcohol-related context influences risk taking on a computerized behavioral task. Grounded in alcohol expectancy theory (which holds that information processing about the rewarding effects of alcohol mediates the influences of different affective processes on drinking-related behavior), the present study—using online-based assessments—examined whether implicitly priming undergraduate social-drinking participants with alcohol-related stimuli (images and arousing expectancy words) would lead to greater risk taking and disinhibition on computerized tasks. Results were complicated by baseline group differences in drinking, expectancies, and the day of the week in which participants completed the task; regardless, the central hypothesis was not supported, as participants exposed to alcohol images and expectancy words were not significantly riskier on the BART or more impulsive on the Go/No-Go than participants exposed to neutral images and words. Exploratory analyses indicated that participants who completed the tasks on days associated with drinking (Thursdays through Saturdays) were significantly riskier than participants who completed the tasks on other days, and that this effect was the strongest when participants were exposed to alcohol primes. While consistent with the context sensitivity of alcohol cognitions and risk taking, the lack of random assignment to day of the week precludes causal interpretation. Nonetheless, the results indicate that research on the assessment of risk taking in a naturalistic context (e.g., through ecological momentary assessment) is warranted.

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Evidências recentes na literatura apontam um elevado consumo de álcool entre estudantes universitários. Expectativas relacionadas aos efeitos do uso de álcool têm sido associadas tanto ao início quanto à manutenção do beber de jovens. De forma análoga, o grupo de pares é um aspecto de destacada relevância sobre o comportamento dos jovens, inclusive no que se refere ao uso de álcool. Por sua vez, tanto expectativas quanto grupo de pares podem modular de forma diferente o comportamento do beber de homens e de mulheres. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar diferenças de gênero sobre o uso de álcool, expectativas relacionadas aos efeitos do uso de álcool e o envolvimento com o grupo de pares de risco para o uso de álcool entre estudantes universitários da área da saúde. Participaram 238 estudantes (105 homens) de todos os anos dos cursos de Medicina e Fisioterapia da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo. Estudantes preencheram um questionário estruturado autoaplicável contendo os instrumentos AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), para avaliar o uso de álcool, AEQ-A (Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire Adolescent Form), para avaliar as expectativas dos efeitos do uso de álcool, e DUSI (Drug Use Screening Inventory), para avaliar o grupo de pares. A prevalência do uso de álcool no ano foi de 92,1% entre os homens e de 81,2% entre as mulheres (X²=10,87; p=0,02). Homens também apresentaram maior prevalência do padrão de uso problemático de álcool (X²=8,19; p<0,01) e de binge drinking (X²=8,13; p<0,01). Expectativas de transformações globais positivas (Z=-2,12; p=0,03) e de melhora no desempenho sexual (Z=-2,76; p<0,01) associadas ao consumo de álcool foram mais significativamente relacionadas ao gênero masculino. Entretanto, não houve diferenças de gênero na pontuação média para a escala de relação de pares do instrumento DUSI (Z=-1,67; p=0,09). Apesar do elevado uso de álcool para ambos os gêneros, homens apresentaram maior prevalência de uso de álcool no ano, uso problemático e binge. Grupo de pares parece ser um possível fator de vulnerabilidade para o uso de álcool, independente do gênero. Entretanto, expectativas se correlacionaram de maneira positiva com o uso de álcool apenas entre os homens. Esses resultados podem indicar que diferenças de gênero podem ter importante papel na elaboração de estratégias de prevenção mais precisas e eficazes sobre o uso de álcool. / Recent evidences in scientific literature have indicated an increasing alcohol consumption in university students. Alcohol expectancies have been associated to the beginning and maintenance of drinking by young adults. Peer group is also a relevant aspect on young behavior, mainly on alcohol use. Both, alcohol expectancies and peer group can modulate drinking behavior of men and women by different pathways. This study aimed to evaluate gender differences of alcohol use, alcohol expectancies and peer relationship in university students of the health area. Observational, transversal study design on a convenience sample of 238 university students (105 men) from Medicine and Physiotherapy courses of the School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of University of São Paulo. Students completed self-reported questionnaire, including AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), to evaluate alcohol use, AEQ-A (Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire - Adolescent Form), to evaluate alcohol expectancies, and DUSI (Drug Use Screening Inventory), to evaluate peer group. 92.1% of men and 81.2% of women declared to have drank alcohol in the last 12 months (X²=10.87; p=0.02). Men scored significantly higher on prevalence of problematic alcohol use and binge drinking (X²=8.13; p<0.01). Expectancies of positive global transformations (Z=-2.12; p=0.03) and sexual enhancement (Z=-2.76; p<0.01) associated to alcohol consumption were more evident in male. However, no gender differences on peer relationship was observed (Z=-1.67; p=0.09). Despite of increased alcohol use for both gender, male have presented a greater prevalence of alcohol use in the last 12 months, problematic alcohol use and binge drinking. Peer group may be a possible vulnerability factor on alcohol consumption, independent of gender. However, alcohol expectancies presented a positive correlation to alcohol use only in men. Results indicate that gender differences may have an important role for the development of more efficient strategies for alcohol abuse prevention.

Evidências recentes na literatura apontam um elevado consumo de álcool entre estudantes universitários. Expectativas relacionadas aos efeitos do uso de álcool têm sido associadas tanto ao início quanto à manutenção do beber de jovens. De forma análoga, o grupo de pares é um aspecto de destacada relevância sobre o comportamento dos jovens, inclusive no que se refere ao uso de álcool. Por sua vez, tanto expectativas quanto grupo de pares podem modular de forma diferente o comportamento do beber de homens e de mulheres. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar diferenças de gênero sobre o uso de álcool, expectativas relacionadas aos efeitos do uso de álcool e o envolvimento com o grupo de pares de risco para o uso de álcool entre estudantes universitários da área da saúde. Participaram 238 estudantes (105 homens) de todos os anos dos cursos de Medicina e Fisioterapia da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo. Estudantes preencheram um questionário estruturado autoaplicável contendo os instrumentos AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), para avaliar o uso de álcool, AEQ-A (Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire Adolescent Form), para avaliar as expectativas dos efeitos do uso de álcool, e DUSI (Drug Use Screening Inventory), para avaliar o grupo de pares. A prevalência do uso de álcool no ano foi de 92,1% entre os homens e de 81,2% entre as mulheres (X²=10,87; p=0,02). Homens também apresentaram maior prevalência do padrão de uso problemático de álcool (X²=8,19; p<0,01) e de binge drinking (X²=8,13; p<0,01). Expectativas de transformações globais positivas (Z=-2,12; p=0,03) e de melhora no desempenho sexual (Z=-2,76; p<0,01) associadas ao consumo de álcool foram mais significativamente relacionadas ao gênero masculino. Entretanto, não houve diferenças de gênero na pontuação média para a escala de relação de pares do instrumento DUSI (Z=-1,67; p=0,09). Apesar do elevado uso de álcool para ambos os gêneros, homens apresentaram maior prevalência de uso de álcool no ano, uso problemático e binge. Grupo de pares parece ser um possível fator de vulnerabilidade para o uso de álcool, independente do gênero. Entretanto, expectativas se correlacionaram de maneira positiva com o uso de álcool apenas entre os homens. Esses resultados podem indicar que diferenças de gênero podem ter importante papel na elaboração de estratégias de prevenção mais precisas e eficazes sobre o uso de álcool. / Recent evidences in scientific literature have indicated an increasing alcohol consumption in university students. Alcohol expectancies have been associated to the beginning and maintenance of drinking by young adults. Peer group is also a relevant aspect on young behavior, mainly on alcohol use. Both, alcohol expectancies and peer group can modulate drinking behavior of men and women by different pathways. This study aimed to evaluate gender differences of alcohol use, alcohol expectancies and peer relationship in university students of the health area. Observational, transversal study design on a convenience sample of 238 university students (105 men) from Medicine and Physiotherapy courses of the School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto of University of São Paulo. Students completed self-reported questionnaire, including AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), to evaluate alcohol use, AEQ-A (Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire - Adolescent Form), to evaluate alcohol expectancies, and DUSI (Drug Use Screening Inventory), to evaluate peer group. 92.1% of men and 81.2% of women declared to have drank alcohol in the last 12 months (X²=10.87; p=0.02). Men scored significantly higher on prevalence of problematic alcohol use and binge drinking (X²=8.13; p<0.01). Expectancies of positive global transformations (Z=-2.12; p=0.03) and sexual enhancement (Z=-2.76; p<0.01) associated to alcohol consumption were more evident in male. However, no gender differences on peer relationship was observed (Z=-1.67; p=0.09). Despite of increased alcohol use for both gender, male have presented a greater prevalence of alcohol use in the last 12 months, problematic alcohol use and binge drinking. Peer group may be a possible vulnerability factor on alcohol consumption, independent of gender. However, alcohol expectancies presented a positive correlation to alcohol use only in men. Results indicate that gender differences may have an important role for the development of more efficient strategies for alcohol abuse prevention.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Psychology, 2008. / Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 31-37).