associated with high positive marijuana expectancies, which is consistent with the theory that positive expectancies can increase drug use by undermining self-efficacy — the more rewarding smoking appears to be, the harder it is for a patient to refuse.
For patients with strong positive expectancies, abstinence is better achieved through challenging their beliefs that smoking marijuana is rewarding.
The study, along with other similar studies, pointed out that negative expectancies lowered the likelihood of relapse independent from refusal self-efficacy. Additionally, negative expectancies held before treatment can be important motivators for abstinence.
