Alcohol Use, Perceived Control, and Alcohol Expectancies as Predictors of Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem worldwide, and alcohol use contributes to the occurrence and severity of abuse. A better understanding of the mechanism underlying the association between alcohol use and IPV is necessary to identify potential abusers and develop effective interventions. Perceived control and alcohol expectancies have both been linked to abuse. The purpose of our study was to test the relationship between perceived control, alcohol expectancies, alcohol use, and IPV to inform development of effective prevention and intervention strategies. Results indicated that alcohol expectancies significantly predicted physical and psychological IPV and were moderated by perceived control. Alcohol expectancies accounted for 53% of the variance in physical IPV committed by low perceived control individuals under the influence of alcohol. Understanding these relationships could guide development of effective prevention/ intervention strategies based on expectancy challenge methods.