Development of the Stimulant Medication Outcome Expectancies Questionnaire for College Students

Non-prescribed use of stimulant medication among college students has become a public health concern. Although it has been well-established that outcome expectancies play a prominent role in initiation and maintenance of drinking behaviors it is unknown if and how outcome expectancies influence non-prescribed use of stimulant medication among college students. The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable scale that assesses outcome expectancies of non-prescribed use of stimulant medication. A 16-item Stimulant Medication Outcome Expectancy Questionnaire (SMOEQ) was created using qualitative information given by introductory psychology students regarding their expectancies about misusing stimulant medication. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified a three-factor solution: the Academic factor, Recreational factor, and Negative Physiological Effects factor, respectively. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) validated the factor structure identified in the EFA and indicated a modest fit of the hypothesized factor structure to the data. Correlation analyses provided support for the internal consistency and construct validity of the SMOEQ.