The role of implicit associations and explicit expectancies related to alcohol use: a comparison of Lithuanian and US college samples

ABSTRACTThe purpose of the current study was to (1) explore for cultural differences in harmful alcohol use and (2) examine whether explicit alcohol expectancies and implicit alcohol associations predict use. University students from Lithuania (n = 63) and the USA (n = 81) completed explicit and implicit measures regarding alcohol use. We found that compared to Lithuanian college students, US college students reported higher harmful alcohol use, endorsed more positive alcohol expectancies and had significantly fewer negative implicit alcohol associations. For both samples, both positive expectancies and implicit associations predicted harmful use.