TY - JOUR PY - 2020// TI - Alcohol-related cognitive mechanisms underlying adolescent alcohol use and alcohol problems: outcome expectancy, self-schema, and self-efficacy JO - Addictive behaviors A1 - Lee, Chia-Kuei A1 - Corte, Colleen A1 - Stein, Karen F. A1 - Feng, Jui-Ying A1 - Liao, Li-Ling SP - e106349 EP - e106349 VL - 105 IS - N2 - PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to empirically test a theoretical model to determine the cognitive mechanisms that are associated with adolescent alcohol use and alcohol problems. We posited that alcohol outcome expectancies would affect alcohol-refusal self-efficacy through the drinker self-schema. We also posited that alcohol outcome expectancies and the drinker self-schema would affect alcohol use and problems through alcohol-refusal self-efficacy.

METHODS: A survey was administered to 225 adolescents in a public junior high school in Taiwan at two-time points, six months apart. Path analysis was used to determine the mechanisms underlying the alcohol-related cognitive constructs on the alcohol use and alcohol problems separately, controlling for appropriate alcohol-related personal and environmental factors. Indirect effects were estimated using the bootstrapping method.

RESULTS: Higher positive alcohol outcome expectancies and lower negative alcohol outcome expectancies predicted higher drinker self-schema scores. Higher positive alcohol outcome expectancies and drinker self-schema scores predicted lower alcohol-refusal self-efficacy. Lower alcohol-refusal self-efficacy was associated with a history of drinking and alcohol problems in the past six months. Effects of alcohol outcome expectancies on alcohol use and alcohol problems were partially mediated through the drinker self-schema and alcohol-refusal self-efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the proposed theoretical cognitive mechanisms underlying alcohol use and alcohol problems in a sample of Taiwanese adolescents. Given that alcohol-related cognitive constructs are modifiable, the findings also provide a foundation to suggest that interventions to reduce positive alcohol outcome expectations and prevent the formation of a drinker self-schema may facilitate alcohol-refusal self-efficacy and mitigate drinking behaviors in this adolescent population.

Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0306-4603 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106349 ID - ref1 ER -