Educational and occupational attainment and drinking behavior: an expectancy model in young adulthood

Aims The socio‐economic status (SES) variables of education level and occupational functioning have been found to be correlated negatively with alcohol use. The present study examined prospectively the relationship between these functioning measures, alcohol expectancies and alcohol involvement. We propose that expectancies function as a mediator of the relationship between educational/occupational attainment and drinking behavior. We hypothesized that changes in young adult functioning are linked to changes in social context and/or the availability of non‐alcohol reinforcers, which in turn affect the reinforcement expected from alcohol. Participants and design Participants were 172 young adults from an ongoing longitudinal study of long‐term clinical course of adolescent substance use treatment. Data from 6‐ and 8‐year follow‐ups were used in the present analyses. The treated sample (n = 100) was recruited from in‐patient substance abuse treatment programs for adolescents. A community sample (n = 72) was matched on family history of substance abuse and SES at intake. Findings A cross‐lag panel analysis indicated that education had a unique longitudinal relationship with expectancy for both the treated and community sample, over and above previous alcohol use and expectancy. Occupational variables did not have a longitudinal relationship with alcohol use and expectancy for either sample. Expectancies mediated the education/drinking relationship for the treated sample only. Conclusions These results suggest one means through which changes in functioning may alter alcohol involvement over time: alteration of the reinforcement expected from alcohol.