Using alcohol expectations to examine the theory of planned behavior in a college student sample

Alcohol use on college campuses is a major concern for both administrators and counselors. Because so many students drink alcoholic beverages during their college years, an increasing amount of attention is being given to the negative effects that alcohol has on their behavior and to the ways in which consumption levels can be reduced. One of the most frequently examined topics in the area is expectations about the effects of alcohol. Despite the abundance of previous research, the relationship of people's drinking behavior, age, and gender to their alcohol expectations still remains unclear. In addition, the majority of studies conducted in this area are not grounded in theory. As a result, this study had two purposes: (1) to examine group differences in alcohol expectations; and (2) to evaluate the ability of the Theory of Planned Behavior to predict alcohol use in college students. The participants were 467 undergraduates. A 2 x 2 x 3 MANOVA and hierarchical regressions were used to test the hypotheses. Main effects were obtained for gender, age, and drinking style. In addition, the results showed that demographics and attitudes components of the TPB were significant predictors of alcohol use. Implications from the results are discussed. It is hoped these findings will help counselors develop more effective prevention programs to reduce excessive alcohol consumption on college campuses