The paradoxical association between tension-reduction alcohol outcome expectancies and tension following alcohol consumption.

: Behavioral models suggest that strong tension-reduction alcohol-outcome expectancies (TREs) among drinkers should be associated with greater tension reduction after drinking. Yet, the few studies investigating this have found either no relationship or the opposite relationship.: We sought to explore this relationship by building upon the limitations of past studies and employing a placebo-controlled, within-subject experimental design.