The relative contribution of metacognitive beliefs and expectancies to drinking behaviour

Aim: Alcohol expectancies refer to the effects of alcohol use anticipated by an individual. Metacognitive beliefs about alcohol use are a specific form of alcohol expectancy relating to the beliefs individuals hold about the effects of alcohol on cognition and emotion. Method: A community sample of 355 individuals completed measures of alcohol expectancies, metacognitive beliefs about alcohol use, and drinking behaviour. Results: Correlation analyses indicated that alcohol expectancies and metacognitive beliefs about alcohol use were positively correlated with drinking behaviour. Structural regression modelling revealed that three of the four facets of metacognitive beliefs about alcohol use were independent contributors to drinking behaviour, and that, when controlling for such beliefs, only negative social performance alcohol expectancies explained additional variance in drinking behaviour. Conclusions: These results add to the argument that there is a value in differentiating between metacognitive beliefs about alcohol use and alcohol expectancies in predicting drinking behaviour.