Endorsement and strength of alcohol expectancies.

It has been suggested that the strength of alcohol-related expectancies can be ascertained from the number of items endorsed on subscales consisting of multiple items. In the present study, subjects were asked to rate the strength of their beliefs in addition to indicating whether or not they endorsed the items on a measure of alcohol-related expectancies. Three issues were addressed: (1) Do strength ratings and endorsements predict the perceived likelihood of drinking when their correlated effects are taken into consideration and do these responses interact? (2) Do the endorsements and strength ratings form higher order factors? and (3) Do men and women with various drinking habits rate the strength of their beliefs for a moderate and a large dose of alcohol in a way that mirrors their endorsements? The results suggest that the strength of an alcohol-related expectancy must be measured in its own right and cannot be inferred from the pattern of endorsements. Interactions of endorsements and strength ratings produce unique information that is not deducible from either measure alone.