An examination of mood effects on positive alcohol expectancies among undergraduate drinkers

Alcohol expectancies have been found to be related to both alcohol use and abuse. To date, very little research has examined whether state biases known to affect the recall and endorsement of other types of information can influence alcohol expectancies. Mood-congruent memory theory and coping theory are reviewed, and are found to make opposing predictions regarding the relationship between state negative and positive affect and endorsement of positive alcohol expectancies. Study 1 (n = 121 undergraduate drinkers) used a correlational approach to show that negative affect predicted increased endorsement of positive alcohol expectancies. Study 2 (n = 55 undergraduate drinkers) used an experimental approach to show that participants assigned to a negative mood induction endorsed more positive alcohol expectancies than participants assigned to a positive mood induction. Together, these findings suggest that state negative affect can produce transient changes making alcohol use appear to be an attractive coping strategy.