Differences in Asian and white drinking: consumption level, drinking contexts, and expectancies.

Despite the heterogeneous nature of interethnic drinking differences within racial groups, research has demonstrated that cautious generalizations can be made when comparing Asian and White drinking patterns. Persons in the United States who identify their race as "Asian" drink much less than their White counterparts, and they report fewer problems. Some have speculated that drinking patterns between racial groups are mediated by culturally influenced social learning. To date there has been very little research examining the expectancy of reinforcement from drinking between different racial, cultural or ethnic groups. The current study of 637 white and 179 Asian university students examined differences in alcohol consumption and problem levels, the social context of drinking, and alcohol expectancies. Results show considerable differences between Asian and White drinking and level of associated problems, as well as similarities and differences in social drinking contexts. It also appears that Asians expected greater tension reduction from drinking despite drinking less overall. Implications for further research are suggested that would link racial, and more specifically, ethnic drinking differences with culturally defined alcohol expectancies.