Northern Kentucky University
"Alcohol is Not Fun Anymore!": A Study of Alcohol Expectancies during COVID-19
Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Psychology
Minor
Neuroscience
2nd Grade Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
2nd Student Major
Psychology
2nd Student Minor
Human Services and Addictions
KY House District #
60; 67
KY Senate District #
11; 24
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
Ty Brumback, PhD; Heather Kissel, PhD
Department
Psychological Science
Abstract
College parties normalize alcohol use and students develop expectations about drinking due to peer influence and previous experience with alcohol. Our study investigated changes in alcohol expectancies by collecting cross-sectional data on predictors of alcohol use in young adults before and after the start of the pandemic. Data for 46 participants (mean age=20.74, 72% female) were collected prior to March 2020, while data for an additional 26 participants (mean age=19.27, 80.8% female) were collected starting in 2021. During the laboratory session, participants completed surveys and a structured clinical interview. We examined responses from the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ). This self-report comprises seven subscales including Changes in Social Behavior (CSB) and Sexual Enhancement (SE). CSB refers to feeling more caring, giving, and fun after drinking, whereas SE refers to feeling more romantic and confident when talking with someone of your preferred sex after drinking. CSB expectancies, t(76) = 2.30, p = 0.024, and SE expectancies, t(69.85) = 3.05, p = 0.003, were significantly greater in the pre-pandemic group than in the post-pandemic group. Drinking levels also decreased in the post-pandemic sample, which could be due partly to the lack of social gatherings available during the pandemic’s isolation period. Expectancies were related to differential drinking behaviors. As the effects of isolation begin to decline, college students may return to pre-pandemic levels of partying and positive expectancies about alcohol. Past work in our lab (Kissel et al., 2022) indicated depression was the most influential predictor of post-pandemic binge drinking, further suggesting differences in the perception of alcohol (i.e., drinking to be social vs. drinking to cope). Addressing changes in alcohol expectancies resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic allows for intervention that is targeted to the context and reasons young adult and underage students choose to drink.
"Alcohol is Not Fun Anymore!": A Study of Alcohol Expectancies during COVID-19
College parties normalize alcohol use and students develop expectations about drinking due to peer influence and previous experience with alcohol. Our study investigated changes in alcohol expectancies by collecting cross-sectional data on predictors of alcohol use in young adults before and after the start of the pandemic. Data for 46 participants (mean age=20.74, 72% female) were collected prior to March 2020, while data for an additional 26 participants (mean age=19.27, 80.8% female) were collected starting in 2021. During the laboratory session, participants completed surveys and a structured clinical interview. We examined responses from the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ). This self-report comprises seven subscales including Changes in Social Behavior (CSB) and Sexual Enhancement (SE). CSB refers to feeling more caring, giving, and fun after drinking, whereas SE refers to feeling more romantic and confident when talking with someone of your preferred sex after drinking. CSB expectancies, t(76) = 2.30, p = 0.024, and SE expectancies, t(69.85) = 3.05, p = 0.003, were significantly greater in the pre-pandemic group than in the post-pandemic group. Drinking levels also decreased in the post-pandemic sample, which could be due partly to the lack of social gatherings available during the pandemic’s isolation period. Expectancies were related to differential drinking behaviors. As the effects of isolation begin to decline, college students may return to pre-pandemic levels of partying and positive expectancies about alcohol. Past work in our lab (Kissel et al., 2022) indicated depression was the most influential predictor of post-pandemic binge drinking, further suggesting differences in the perception of alcohol (i.e., drinking to be social vs. drinking to cope). Addressing changes in alcohol expectancies resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic allows for intervention that is targeted to the context and reasons young adult and underage students choose to drink.