Most of our variables were intercorrelate in the expected directions. Of the three coping factors only avoidant coping predicted drinking behaviour as measured by AUDIT in this sample, however the majority of expectancy factors, and all the drinking motive factors,were positively related to drinking. These results were upheld in the regression analysis. avoidant coping was a particularly salient predictor of drinking,while cognitive change was the only expectancy not related to drinking. Although it seems counterintuitive that negative expectancy were positively related to drinking, this can be explained by the cross-sectional nature of the study. Specifically, people who drink at riskier levels are more likely to experience negative consequences as a result of their drinking. As such they are more likely to report anticipating negative consequences. A positive relationship between negative expectancy and drinking is often observed in alcohol dependent and risky drinking samples (Hasking & Oei, 2007). The finding that all three drinking motives were important, even after controlling for coping strategies and alcohol expectancy, highlights their salient role in drinking and perhaps suggests they are the most proximal alcohol-related cognitions, as suggested by motivational models of drinking (Cox & Klinger, 1988). The regression model predicted 57% of the variance in drinking behaviour, a surprisingly strong result suggesting that the cognitive factors examined in this study are highly relevant to drinking.