Is the glass half full or half empty? An evaluation of the status of expectancies as causal agents.
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Alcohol Drinking↗
Biomedical subjects
J Darkes
Publications and source records attributed to J Darkes.
Expectancy challenge and drinking reduction: process and structure in the alcohol expectancy network.
Expectancies' mediational (control) role in alcohol consumption has been supported by both correlational and experimental evidence (J. Darkes & M. S. Goldman, 1993; M. S. Goldman, P. E. Greenbaum, & J. Darkes, 1997; L. Roehrich & M. S. Goldman, 1995). This study assigned participants (n = 54) to 1 of 2 expectancy challenges targeting the expectancy dimensions of either arousal or sociability identified by B. C. Rather and M. S. Goldman (1994), or to a no-treatment control, to examine the relationship of the structure and process of change in alcohol expectancies. Both challenges resulted in reduced consumption and expectancies immediately posttreatment and 6 weeks later after a short "booster" session. These results may reflect the lack of "discrete" expectancy structure and provide further support for the exploration of these methods as a possible prevention strategy.
Adult↗
APA's expert panel in the congressional review of the USS Iowa incident.
In 1989, an explosion aboard the USS Iowa killed 47 sailors. The Navy attributed the explosion to the intentional suicidal acts of Gunners Mate Clayton Hartwig, a conclusion supported primarily by an "equivocal death analysis" conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee (HASC) was highly critical of the FBI's report and the Navy's conclusions, in part because of the peer review provided by 12 psychologists organized by the American Psychological Association (APA). This article (a) reviews the nature of equivocal death analysis and related reconstructive psychological evaluations, (b) describes the nature of APA's consultation and involvement with the HASC, (c) discusses the conclusions reached by the HASC and the influence of the APA panelists, and (d) suggests limitations on the use of equivocal death analysis and related procedures in light of scientific concerns and ethical considerations.
Adult↗
Expectancy challenge and drinking reduction: experimental evidence for a mediational process.
Substantial correlational evidence supports a causal (mediational) interpretation of alcohol expectancy operation, but definitive support requires a true experimental test. Thus, moderately to heavily drinking male college students were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions in a pre-post design: Expectancy challenge (designed to manipulate expectancy levels), "traditional" information, and assessment-only control. Expectancy challenge produced significant drinking decreases, compared with the other 2 groups. Decreases in measured expectancies paralleled drinking decreases in the challenge condition. Significant increases in alcohol knowledge in the traditional program were not associated with decreased drinking. These experimental findings support a causal (mediational) interpretation of expectancy operation. The implications for a cognitive (memory) model of expectancies and for prevention and intervention programs for problem drinking and alcoholism are discussed.
Adult↗
An empirical study of the reports of APA's peer review panel in the congressional review of the U.S.S. IOWA incident.
The U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee (HASC) review of the US. Navy's investigation of the U.S.S. IOWA incident provides a case study of the problems with reconstructive psychological evaluations. The US. Navy attributed the explosion on board the U.S.S. IOWA to the intentional suicidal acts of Gunner's Mate Clayton Hartwig, a conclusion supported primarily by an Equivocal Death Analysis (EDA) conducted by the FBI. Systematic analysis of the reports of the expert panelists who consulted to the NASC reveals that 11 of the 14 panelists were critical of the conclusions reached by the Navy/FBI. There was considerable variability among the judgments of the panelists, who reached consensus only for broad categories. Because the reliability and validity of postmortem psychological reconstructions such as EDA and psychological autopsy have not been established, clinicians are urged to exercise caution in the use of such procedures and to be sensitive to ethical obligations to consumers when using such techniques.
Journal Article↗