Exploring Alcohol Expectancies in Korea and America Using the Holism Theory

Abstract

The present study examines what alcohol expectancies people in holistic and analytic cultures have, and how they affect alcohol consumption patterns. The past research on comparative studies of alcohol expectancies has lacked theoretical backgrounds that could identify the underlying factors that form different alcohol expectancies. The Holism theory was employed in order to investigate this research topic. A survey was conducted in two large universities located in Korea and the United States. A total of 144 Korean students and 141 American students, ages 18-30, participated in the research. Results indicated that Koreans had higher social alcohol expectancies than Americans did, while Americans had higher individual alcohol expectancies (such as emotion and capability enhancement) than did Koreans. Also, alcohol expectancies were found to be a strong predictor of the alcohol consumption among Koreans. It was also found that Koreans were more likely to accommodate their drinking habits according to the individuals with whom they drink.