Alcohol consumption and expectancies of reward : a cross-cultural comparison

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate expectation (anticipatory belief or desire) with regard to the use of alcohol cross-culturally. Essentially, the objective of the study is to determine the gender and cultural factors influencing the individual's expectancies pertaining to alcohol consumption, using the Irish and Chinese communities living in Ireland. In order to complete this a quantitative cross-sectional survey design, correlational study (a prospective and descriptive approach) was employed. There were 70 participants in total, with an equal number of subjects from each country. In order to collect primary data, the 'Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire' (designed by M. Goldman, S. Brown, and B. Christiansen, 1987) was used, in addition to a biographical questionnaire. The current research found that Irish expectancies scored significantly higher in comparison to Chinese expectancies scores (F (6,58) = 9.687, p<.05). It also finds that these high scores correlate with high levels of alcohol consumption in Irish subjects. The results also indicated that gender in both countries was non-significant in relation to alcohol expectancy. In conclusion, we find that the culture of the country plays a significant role in alcohol expectancy, highlighting that a combination of culture and social influences play a key role in alcohol expectancy.