Abstract
This chapter is a report of the testing of Problem Behavior Theory in longitudinal research on adolescent and young adult marijuana use. Samples of high school and college youth were followed over a four-year period, and data on their use of marijuana and on a large number of theory-derived psychosocial and behavioral measures were collected. A variety of theory-testing strategies were employed the convergence of which permitted a stronger claim on the causal relevance of the theory. The effectiveness of the theory in accounting for cross-sectional variation in marijuana use, for explaining change in marijuana use, and for predicting timing of onset of marijuana use was established across age, gender, and high school vs college contexts. The research also employed the concept of transition proneness to illuminate the developmental implications of Problem Behavior Theory.
†Deceased
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Jessor, R., & Jessor, S. L. (1978). Theory testing in longitudinal research on marijuana use. In D. B. Kandel (Ed.), Longitudinal research on drug use: Empirical findings and methodological issues (pp. 41–71). Washington, DC: Hemisphere Publishing Corporation.
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Jessor, R., Jessor, S.L. (2017). Problem Behavior Theory and the Use of Marijuana. In: Problem Behavior Theory and Adolescent Health . Advancing Responsible Adolescent Development. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51349-2_10
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