Expectancies of college life and alcohol use

The goal of this longitudinal study was to examine the relationship between expectancies of college life and alcohol use among college students. Alcohol use among college students continues to be a national concern. The current study extends existing knowledge of the relationships between alcohol expectancies and behavior and social expectations of intoxicated behavior, by examining expectancies of the context within which drinking occurs: that is, expectancies of college life.;To examine the relationship between expectancies of college life and drinking, a new measure was created and tested to assess social expectancies of college life. Items were generated from focus groups and were analyzed via confirmatory factor analyses. Findings suggest that the hypothesized four-factor structure including, sexual, alcohol, service, and cultural expectancies of college social life fit the data.;The measure was administered to 391 freshmen students at the start of the fall semester of college. Expectancies and value were assessed separately. A follow-up questionnaire was completed by students to assess alcohol use over the first semester of college. Findings reveal that sexual expectancies and alcohol value predicted subsequent drinking among college students. Cultural expectancies and value appear to have protective benefits.