Effects of alcohol-related stereotypes on American Indian and Alaska Native People

Our research has focused on factors affecting alcohol use outcomes among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) peoples, in particular the effect of believe in the unsubstantiated notion that AIANs have a specific biological vulnerability (BV) to problems with alcohol (aka the “firewater myth”). This research has showed that belief in a BV is associated with worse alcohol use outcomes among AIAN college students and AI individuals in recovery. 

Gonzalez, V. M., & Skewes, M. C. (2023). Association of racism and previous substance use treatment with belief in the myth of an American Indian/Alaska Native biological vulnerability to alcohol problems. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 29(3), 339–347.

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Gonzalez, V. M., & Skewes, M. C. (2021). Belief in the myth of an American Indian/Alaska Native biological vulnerability to alcohol problems among reservation-dwelling participants with a substance use problem. Alcoholism: Experimental & Clinical Research, 45(11), 2309-2321. 

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Gonzalez V.M., Burroughs, A., & Skewes M.C. (2021). Belief in the American Indian/Alaska Native biological vulnerability myth and drinking to cope: Does stereotype threat play a role? Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 27(1), 37–46. 

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Gonzalez, V.M., Bravo, A.J., Crouch, M.C.*, & Protective Strategies Study Team (2019). Endorsement of the “firewater myth” affects the use of protective behavioral strategies among American Indian and Alaska Native students. Addictive Behaviors, 93, 78-85. 

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Gonzalez, V. M., & Skewes, M. C. (2018). Association of belief in the “firewater myth” with strategies to avoid alcohol consequences among American Indian and Alaska Native college students who drink. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 32, 401-409. 

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Gonzalez, V. M., & Skewes, M. C. (2016). Association of the firewater myth with drinking behavior among American Indian and Alaska Native college students. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 30, 838-849. 

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Grant support

This research was funded by the following grants

Innovate Grant 2017 
&
Innovate Grant 2012

National Institute of General Medical Sciences – U54GM115371
&
5P20GM104417– 02

Revised Firewater Myth Scale

The Firewater Myth Scale (FMS) was developed by C. June LaMarr (2003). We revised LaMarr’s scale to primarily focus on items related to genetic or biological vulnerability to alcohol problems (Gonzalez & Skewes, 2016). 

For research where we wanted to measure belief in an AIAN biological vulnerability, but couldn’t afford the time to administer the entire scale, we have used only three items from the 9-item biological vulnerability subscale (Gonzalez & Skewes, 2021). This version also eliminates distractor items regarding other races or ethnicities. 

We also developed a single item measure that is being used in a qualitative study to understand why AIAN individuals do or do not believe in this notion.

Revised Firewater Myth Scale

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Three-item version

Limited information is available on psychometrics of this version or how elimination of the other scale items may affect measurement of this belief.

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Single item

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