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Introduction: Children's early experiences with alcohol inform the development of alcohol‐related beliefs which are known to predict alcohol consumption during the critical stage of adolescence. Yet, there has been considerably less research into these alcohol‐related cognitions in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC) and existing measures of these beliefs are highly reflective of Western contexts, which may not be fully appropriate for use in LMICs. The aim is to ascertain the construct validity of the Alcohol Expectancies Questionnaire (AEQ) in a non‐Western sample. Methods: A cross‐sectional diagnostic accuracy study involving 500 adolescents aged 10 to 18 years randomly selected from the database of the Navrongo Health and Demographic Surveillance System. Participants were administered the locally back translated version of the 34‐item AEQ. Confirmatory factor analysis using the lavaan package in R was conducted to generate indices for the factor structure of the AEQ. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses showed that while groupings of positive and negative expectancies were similar to those observed when expectancies have been assessed previously in Western studies, these formed a single 'alcohol expectancy' factor. Questions relating to positive tension reduction and negative physical expectancies showed inconsistent responses in this study. Discussion and Conclusions: Commonly used tools for the assessment of alcohol expectancies may not be suitable for use in Ghana, possibly owing to their development and validation in Western contexts. These findings have implications for the assessment of alcohol‐related beliefs in LMIC settings and begin to map out a research agenda to develop more contextually and culturally attune alcohol assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Existing research points to a link between socioeconomic factors, alcohol consumption and harms, while another body of work documents the importance of varying motivations to drink in shaping alcohol behaviours. Yet, little is currently known about the extent to which alcohol consumption may be differentially associated with drinking motives as a function of deprivation, gender and age. Methods: Cross‐sectional analysis of data from a UK sample aged between 18 and 75 years (n = 1639; 51% male, Mage 47.74, SD 14.66). Structural equation modelling, using clustering to account for the multi‐level nature of the data set, was carried out to assesses the relationships between deprivation (Index of Multiple Deprivation), occupation, age, gender and problem alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test) and social, conformity, enhancement and coping drinking motives. Results: Coping, enhancement and conformity, but not social, motives were associated with problem alcohol consumption. Drinking motives were stronger predictors of problem consumption than gender and age, with motives tending to be endorsed more strongly by younger and male respondents. Responses from participants with working‐class occupations tended to be characterised by elevated endorsements of coping motives. Discussion and Conclusion: Drinking motives are stronger predictors of problem alcohol consumption than socio‐demographic variables although these factors exert influences on people's motives to drink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has examined how standardized tests give rise to gender differences in English and STEM attainment, but little research has explored gender differences in classroom‐based attainment and the degree to which these correspond to differences in school‐related attitudes. To explore the extent to which gender‐achievement gaps in classroom‐based performance parallel differences in self‐perceptions and scholastic attitudes. An independent sample of first (n = 187, age 11–12, Study 1) and second‐year students (n = 113, age 12–13, Study 2) from a UK comprehensive secondary school completed a questionnaire measuring academic mindset, self‐efficacy, self‐concept, competence beliefs, personal and social self‐esteem, and endorsement of gender‐subject and career stereotypes. Responses were then matched to their respective classroom grades in English, mathematics, science, and computing. Girls outperformed boys in English in their first year but reported lower global self‐esteem and greater endorsement of science‐career stereotypes. Conversely, girls outperformed boys in mathematics in their second year, but paradoxically reported lower self‐concept and competence beliefs in mathematics and science, and higher competence beliefs in English. Across both studies, mindset, self‐efficacy, competence beliefs, and social self‐esteem were positively related to English attainment; academic self‐efficacy was positively related to mathematics attainment; and mindset, self‐efficacy, self‐concept, and competence beliefs were positively related to science attainment. Gender‐achievement gaps in classroom‐based academic attainment are complex and highly nuanced; they appear to vary between school subjects across years and may not correspond with similar differences in self‐perceptions and scholastic attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contrasting the traditional focus on alcohol-related visual images, this study examined the impact of both alcohol-related auditory cues and visual stimuli on inhibitory control (IC). Fifty-eight participants completed a Go/No-Go Task, with alcohol-related and neutral visual stimuli presented with or without short or continuous auditory bar cues. Participants performed worse when presented with alcohol-related images and auditory cues. Problematic alcohol consumption and higher effortful control (EC) were associated with better IC performance for alcohol images. It is postulated that those with higher EC may be better able to ignore alcohol-related stimuli, while those with problematic alcohol consumption are unconsciously less attuned to these. This runs contrary to current dogma and highlights the importance of examining both auditory and visual stimuli when investigating IC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]