Alcohol expectancies for social facilitation: A short form with decreased bias

    Authors

    M. A. Mackintosh; M. Earleywine;M. E. Dunn

    Comments

    Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Addict. Behav.

    Keywords

    alcohol use; alcohol expectancies; adolescents; Rasch model; psychometrics; COLLEGE-STUDENTS; BINGE DRINKING; ADOLESCENT; RISK; GENDER; Psychology, Clinical; Substance Abuse

    Abstract

    The social facilitation scale of the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire-Adolescent version predicts subsequent drinking behavior and covaries with other important constructs. An examination of the interval-level measurement properties and potential biases of items could help improve the scale. Responses in a large sample (N=518) of undergraduates confirmed that the items fit a Rasch model for a single-factor, interval scale. Two items were biased when comparing non-drinkers, social drinkers and extreme drinkers. Four additional items showed gender bias. Removal of these items shortened the scale without decreasing correlations with two measures associated with drinking, while the strength with one measure was slightly decreased. This short form of the questionnaire should prove useful in the study of alcohol expectancies for social facilitation without drinking- or gender-related bias. These results also support the utility of Rasch modeling. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

    Journal Title

    Addictive Behaviors

    Volume

    31

    Issue/Number

    9

    Publication Date

    1-1-2006

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    1536

    Last Page

    1546

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000240070400003

    ISSN

    0306-4603

    Share

    COinS