Alcohol expectancies among high school students in Inner Mongolia, China

Objective. This study examines differences in Chinese high school students' alcohol expectancies by drinking status (nondrinker, occasional drinker, regular drinker) and gender (male, female). Method. The authors administered the Chinese Adolescent Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (CAEQ) to a convenience sample of 1244 high school students (M = 627; F = 617) from schools in Huhhot City and Tongliao City in Inner Mongolia, China. Results. Differences were found in the 8 CAEQ factors (3 negative and 5 positive factors). Regular drinkers had lower negative consequences and higher positive perception expectancies than nondrinkers or occasional drinkers. Nondrinkers had higher harm to person/reputation expectancies than occasional or regular drinkers. Occasional drinkers had higher beneficial/moderation and lower harm to person/ reputation expectancies than nondrinkers. Boys had higher positive perception expectancies than girls. Conclusions. Expectancies are associated with Chinese adolescents' drinking. Identifying the characteristics of alcohol consuming youth can inform the development of prevention interventions and alcohol policies.