Title

Lowering risk for early alcohol use by challenging alcohol expectancies in elementary school children

Authors

Authors

I. Y. Cruz;M. E. Dunn

Abbreviated Journal Title

J. Consult. Clin. Psychol.

Keywords

DRINKING-RELATED DIFFERENCES; ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION; DRUG-ABUSE; EARLY ADOLESCENTS; MEMORY NETWORK; SUBSTANCE USE; ACTIVATION; PREVENTION; ORGANIZATION; REDUCTION; Psychology, Clinical

Abstract

Altering alcohol expectancies has reduced alcohol use among young adults and may lead to successful prevention of early alcohol use. The authors randomly assigned 216 4th-grade children to an expectancy challenge or control condition and used individual-differences scaling to map expectancies into memory network format, with preference mapping to model likely paths of association. After expectancy intervention, children exhibited a greater likelihood to associate alcohol use with negative and sedating consequences and a decreased likelihood to associate alcohol with positive and arousing consequences. Children and adults who emphasize negative and sedating effects have been found to be less likely to use alcohol. Therefore, expectancy challenge interventions that have been successful at modifying expectancies and subsequently decreasing alcohol consumption of adults may be useful in reducing the likelihood of early alcohol use among children.

Journal Title

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Volume

71

Issue/Number

3

Publication Date

1-1-2003

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

493

Last Page

503

WOS Identifier

WOS:000183032100009

ISSN

0022-006X

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