Direct and indirect relationships between Factor 2 psychopathy, behavioral activation, positive alcohol expectancies, and alcohol use

There is a well-established relationship between Factor 2 psychopathy and heavy alcohol use. Very few studies, however, have examined potential mediators of this relationship. As a result, it is difficult to develop intervention strategies that target early steps in the psychopathy/alcohol use pathway. The present study tested two structural equation models linking Factor 2 psychopathy to alcohol use through the influence of both behavioral activation and positive alcohol expectancies in a sample of college undergraduates (N = 196). The study was also one of the first to utilize both self-report and laboratory measures of behavioral activation. Findings indicate that both behavioral activation (as assessed by self-report but not laboratory measures) and positive alcohol expectancies fully account for the relationship between Factor 2 psychopathy and alcohol use.