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The Effects Of Stress, Alcohol Outcome Expectancies, Gender, Coping Styles, And

The Effects of Stress, Alcohol Outcome Expectancies, Gender, Coping Styles, and
Family Alcoholism on Alcohol Consumption

The Effects of Stress, Alcohol Outcome Expectancies, Gender, Coping Styles, and
Family Alcoholism on Alcohol Consumption

Research Proposal by
Josh Robbins
100-928-594
November 26, 1996
Economics 143

Abstract

    One large component of American popular culture today is alcohol. A
common stereotype for the effects of alcohol is that as a drug it acts as a
stress antagonist. This theory was introduced by Conger (1956) as the Tension
Reduction Hypothesis (TRW). It states that alcohol's sedative action on the
central nervous system serves to reduce tension, and because tension reduction
is reinforcing, people drink to escape it (Marlatt & Rehsenow, 1980). Why do we
drink, when do we drink, and how much do we drink? This research will determine
the correlation between total weekly consumption of alcohol and perceived stress,
alcohol outcome expectancies, gender, coping styles, and family history of
alcoholism among undergraduate students. Do people drink more or less when
stressed? Do alcohol outcome expectancies lead to higher or lower consumption?
Is a history of family alcoholism positively or negatively correlated to
personal consumption? Do the tested variables play mediating or moderating
roles in stress-related drinking? This research will determine the answers to
these questions, and determine the strength of the correlations, if any.

Introduction

    The main question that this statistical model will answer is as follows:
Is there any correlation between drinking and gender, alcohol expectancies,
family alcoholism, stress, and coping styles?

Gender
    It has been demonstrated that significant differences exist between the
drinking patterns of men and women (Hilton, 1988). In a survey of US drinking
habits conducted in 1988 by the US National Center for Health Statistics, Dawson
and Archer (1992) showed that there are three areas illustrating gender
differences. The first is the actual number of male and female drinkers. The
study showed that 64% of men versus 41% of women were current drinkers. Second,
men were more likely to consume alcohol on a daily basis (17.5 grams of ethanol
per day versus 8.9 grams for women). Third, men were more likely to be
classified as heavy drinkers. In fact, when the classification measure of a
"heavy drinker" was changed from five drinks or more p

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