Expecting That Alcohol Use Will Reduce Social Anxiety Moderates the Relation Between Social Anxiety and Alcohol Consumption

Abstract

We examined the hypothesis that social anxiety and alcohol outcome expectancies interact in relating to the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption. Two hundred twenty-nine undergraduates completed self-report questionnaires. The results showed situational specificity of alcohol expectancies. Expecting that alcohol would reduce anxiety in social situations moderated the relation between social anxiety and alcohol consumption; no such moderating effect was found for expectancy of general tension reduction. Among those who did not expect alcohol to reduce their anxiety in social situations, high-social-anxiety participants reported lower frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption than did low-social-anxiety individuals. High- and low-social-anxiety participants who expected alcohol to reduce their social anxiety did not differ in their alcohol consumption.