Positive and negative metacognitions about alcohol use among university students: Psychometric properties of the PAMS and NAMS French versions

Background: Metacognitions about the positive and negative effects of alcohol use have been associated with various patterns of drinking. The aim of the present study was to validate French versions of the Positive Alcohol Metacognitions Scale (PAMS) and the Negative Alcohol Metacognitions Scale (NAMS) developed by Spada and Wells (2008, Addict. Behav. 33,515) and to investigate the relationship between metacognitions and patterns of alcohol use among university students. Methods: Responses of 1600 university students who participated in an internet survey-based study on alcohol use were submitted to confirmatory (N = 800, mean age 20.40 years, 45.50% male) and exploratory (N= 800, mean age 20.34 years, 45.38% male) factor analyses in two separate samples. Alcohol use, binge drinking and mood were also assessed. Results: In line with the original versions of the scales, results provided support for a two-factor structure of the French PAMS and NAMS. Both scales revealed adequate internal reliability. Good temporal stability was found for the two factors of the NAMS, whereas one factor of the PAMS showed weakness across time. Predictive validity revealed that negative alcohol metacognitions about the uncontrollability of alcohol use were found to be consistently associated with alcohol use and binge drinking, whereas positive metacognitions about alcohol use were found to be differentially associated with alcohol use and binge drinking. Conclusions: The French versions of the PAMS and NAMS exhibited suitable psychometric properties. This study also emphasized the role of metacognitions about alcohol use in drinking behaviour among university students. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.