Theory-driven interventions: How social cognition can help

This chapter reviews the adaption of theories of social cognition to interventions for problematic alcohol use. Social cognitive theories focus on thoughts and feelings individuals have about themselves or others, and there is an established and successful tradition of applying these theories to intervention. We provide a brief primer of key theories, describe how each one has been applied to intervention, and review key findings. We consider both long-standing applications of social cognitive theories (e.g., Social Cognitive Theory) and emergent applications (e.g., Self-Affirmation Theory). We close by discussing implications across theories and suggesting future directions.