Alcoholism research has independently focused on background characteristics and alcohol-related expectations, e.g., social and physical pleasure, reduced tension, and increased assertiveness, as important variables in identifying high risk individuals. To assess the utility of alcohol reinforcement expectations as predictors of drinking patterns, 321 male and female college students, aged 17-36, completed the Demographic Data Sheet, the Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire, and the Customary Drinking Record. An analysis of the results showed that expectancies added to the predictive power of demographics in identifying drinking styles, especially for moderated-excessive and problematic drinkers. Ethnic background, age, generations in the United States and religiosity were the best demographic predictors, while relaxation/tension reduction was the single best expectancy related predictor. In subjects with reported heavy drinking patterns, expectancy of tension reduction was second only to the sex of the subject as a predictor. (BL)