This study explored the relationships between coping strategies,alcohol expectancies, drinking motives and drinking behaviour in a nonclinical sample. Generally the results supported our hypothesised model, in which we proposed that the relationship between coping strategies and alcohol use would be mediated by alcohol expectancies,
and that this relationship would be further mediated by drinking motives. However we failed to observe the expected moderation effects that many theoretical accounts of drinking suggest. Overall, the findings highlight the complex relationships between the variables that work together to govern drinking behaviour.