Abstract
This study tests a multidimensional model of adolescent drug use. The model incorporates sociodemographic variables, personality variables (state and trait anxiety, depressive mood, and sensation seeking), cognitive variables (knowledge, attitudes, and intentions), interpersonal factors (relationships with peers and parents), and the availability of drugs. The model was tested in a longitudinal study, comprising two phases. A total of 1446 high school students served as subjects. The role of cognitive (attitudinal) and interpersonal factors (relationships with parents and peers) was confirmed. In addition, sensation seeking proved to have significant predictive power. Anxiety, depression, and sociodemographic factors, by contrast, had virtually no influence. Availability had a minor effect. The multidimensional explanation was validated longitudinally. The factors related to drug use at the first phase predicted use at the second. This multidimensional explanation accounted for the use of various substances, suggesting that different substances—whether legal or illegal—share a common multidimensional explanation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abe, K., and Mausi, T. (1981). Age-sex trends of phobic and anxiety symptoms in adolescents.Br. J. Psychiat. 138: 297–302.
Ajzen, I., and Fishbein, M. (1980).Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Akers, R. L., Krohn, M. D., Lanza-Kaduce, L., and Radosevich, N. (1979). Social learning and deviant behavior: A specific test of a general theory.Am. Sociol. Rev. 44: 636–655.
Andrews, K. H., and Kandel, D. B. (1979). Attitude and behavior: A specification of the contingent consistency hypothesis.Am. Sociol. Rev. 44: 298–310.
Barnea, Z., (1985). Adolescent drug and alcohol use: Effects of personality traits, social processes, attitudes and knowledge on the use of psychoactive substances (a longitudinal study). Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Tel Aviv University, Tel-Aviv (Hebrew text).
Barnea, Z. (1989). A critical and comparative review of the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse in Israel.J. Drug Educ. 19: 59–81.
Barnea, Z., Teichman, M., Rahav, G., Gil, R., and Rosenblum Y. (1990).Alcohol and Drug Use in Israel—1990: A Nationwide Epidemiological Study. The Israel Anti-Drug Authority, Jerusalem.
Barnea, Z., Rahav, G., and Teichman, M. (1987). The reliability and consistency of self-reports on substance use in a longitudinal study. Br. J. Addict. 82: 891–898.
Bauman, K. E., and Fisher, L. A. (1986). On the measurement of friend behavior in research on friend influence and selection: Findings from longitudinal studies of adolescent smoking and drinking.J. Youth Adoles. 15: 345–353.
Botvin, J. G., Schinke, S. P., and Orlandi, M. A. (1989). Psychosocial approaches to substance abuse prevention: Theoretical foundations and empirical findings.Crisis 10: 62–77.
Brook, J. S., Whiteman, M., and Gordon, A. S. (1983). Stages of drug use in adolescence: Personality, peer, and family correlates.Develop. Psychol. 19: 269–277.
Brook, R. C., and Whitehead, P. C. (1983). Values of adolescent drug abusers.Int. J. Addict. 18: 1–8.
Brooks, M. L., Walfish, S., Stenmark, D. E., and Canger, J. M. (1981). Personality variables in alcohol abuse in college students.J. Drug Educ. 11: 185–189.
Carrol, E. N., and Zuckerman, M. (1977). Psychopathology and sensation seeking in “downers,” “speeders,” “trippers”: A study of the relationship between personality and drug choice.Int. J. Addict. 12: 591–601.
Dembo, R., Allen, N., Farrow, D., Schmeidler, J., and Burgos, W. (1985). A causal analysis of early drug involvement in three inner-city neighborhood settings.Int. J. Addict. 20: 1213–1237.
Fawzy, F. I., Coombs, R. H., and Gerber, B. (1983). Generational continuity in the use of substances: The impact of parental substance use on adolescent substance use.Addict. Behav. 8: 109–114.
Friedman, J., and Humphrey, J. A. (1985). Antecedents of collegiate drinking.J. Youth Adoles. 14: 11–21.
Galizio, M., and Stein, F. S. (1983). Sensation seeking and drug choice.Int. J. Addict. 18: 1039–1048.
Glynn, T. J. (1981). From family to peer: A review of transitions of influence among drug-using youth.J. Youth Adoles. 10: 363–383.
Huba, G. J., and Bentler, P. M. (1980). The role of peer and adult models for drug taking at different stages in adolescence.J. Youth Adoles. 9: 449–465.
Huba, G. J., Wingard, J. A., and Bentler, P. M. (1980). Framework for an interactive theory of drug use. In Lettieri, D. J., Sayers, M., and Pearson, H. W. (eds.),Theories on Drug Abuse (Research Monograph No. 30). National Institute on Drug Abuse, Rockville, MD.
Huba, G. J., Wingard, J. A., and Bentler, P. M. (1981). A comparison of two latent variable causal models for adolescent drug use.J. Personal. Social Psychol. 40: 180–193.
Igra, A., and Moos, R. H. (1979). Alcohol use among college students: Some competing hypotheses.J. Youth Adoles. 8: 393–405.
Iutcovich, J. M., and Iutcovich, M. (1982). Just for fun: Alcohol and the college student.Chem. Depend. Behav. Biomed. Issues 4: 167–185.
Jessor, R., and Jessor, S. L. (1977).Problem Behavior and Psychosocial Development—A Longitudinal Study of Youth. Academic Press, New York.
Jessor, R., and Jessor, S. L. (1978). Theory testing in longitudinal research on marijuana use. In Kandel, D. B. (ed.), Longitudinal Research on Drug Use: Empirical Findings and Methodological Issues. Hemisphere—Wiley, Washington, DC.
Kandel, D. B. (1976). Study of high school students: Student questionnaire, wave 1, Fall 1971. In Nehemkis, A., Macari, M. A., and Lettieri, D. J. (eds.),Drug Abuse Instrument Handbook (Research Issues No. 12). National Institute on Drug Abuse, Rockville, MD.
Kandel, D. B. (1980). Drug and drinking behavior among youth.Ann. Rev. Sociol. 6: 235–285.
Kandel, D. B., and Davies, M. (1982). Epidemiology of depressive mood in adolescence.Arch. of Gen. Psychiat. 39: 1205–1212.
Kandel, D. B., and Lesser, G. (1972).Youth in Two Worlds. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco.
Kandel, D. B., Kessler, R. C., and Margulies, R. S. (1978). Adolescent initiation into stages of drug use: A developmental analysis. In Kandel, D. B. (ed.),Longitudinal Research on Drug Use: Empirical Findings and Methodological Issues, (pp. 73–99). Hemisphere—Wiley, Washington, DC.
Kern, M. F., Kenkel, M. B., Templer, D. I., and Newell, T. G. (1986). Drug preference as a function of arousal and stimulus screening.Int. J. Addict. 21: 255–265.
Khantzian, E. J. (1985). The self medication hypothesis of addictive disorders: Focus on heroin and cocaine dependence.Am. J. Psychiat. 142: 1259–1264.
Kohn, P. M., and Coulas, J. T. (1985). Sensation seeking, augmenting-reducing, and the perceived and preferred effects of drugs.J. Personal. Social Psychol. 48: 99–106.
Lacy, W. B. (1981). The influence of attitudes and current friends on drug use intentions.J. Social Psychol 113: 65–76.
Lubin, B. (1967).Depression Adjective Check-List: Manual. Educational and Industrial Service, San Diego, CA (2nd ed., 1981).
Lucas, W. L. (1978). Predicting initial use of marijuana from correlates of marijuana use: Assessment of panel and cross-sectional data 1969–1976.Int. J. Addict. 13: 1035–1047.
Monroe, J. J., and English, G. E. (1973). Ascription of favorable and unfavorable attributes to substance abusers by college age males.Psychol. Rep. 32: 875–882.
Montagne, M., and Vogt, D. D. (1983). Toward an integrative framework for the comprehensive study of drug-taking behaviors and experiences.Int. J. Addict. 18: 959–970.
Needle, R., McCubbin, H., Wilson, M., Reineck, R., Lazar, A., and Mederer, H. (1986). Interpersonal influences in adolescent drug use: The role of older siblings, parents and peers.Int. J. Addict. 21: 739–766.
Newcomb, M. D., and Bentler, P. M. (1986). Frequency and sequence of drug use: A longitudinal study from early adolescence to young adulthood.J. Drug. Educ. 16: 101–121.
Powers, R. J., and Kutash, I. L. (1985). Stress and alcohol.Int. J. Addict. 20: 461–482.
Robson, P. (1989), Psychological profile of social drinkers.Br. J. Addict. 84: 1329–1336.
Schwarz, R., Burkhart, B. R., and Green, S. B. (1982). Sensation-seeking and anxiety as factors in social drinking men.J. Studies Alcoh. 43: 1108–1114.
Segal, B. (1983). Drugs and youth: A review of the problem.Int. J. Addict. 18: 429–433.
Segal, B., Huba, G. J., and Singer, J. L. (1980).Drugs, Daydreaming and Personality: A Study of College Youth. Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.
Shedler, J., and Block, J. (1990). Adolescent drug use and psychological health.Am. Psychol. 45: 612–630.
Shoham, S. G., Geva, N., Kliger, D., and Chai, T. (1974). Drug abuse among Israeli youth: Epidemiological pilot study.Bullet. Narcot. 26: 9–28.
Smart, R. G. (1980). An availability proneness theory of illicit drug abuse. In Lettieri, D. J., Sayers, M., and Pearson, H. W. (eds.),Theories on Drug Abuse (Research Monograph No. 30), National Institute on Drug Abuse, Rockville, MD.
Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., and Lushene, R. E. (1970).The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Counseling Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, CA.
Tec, N. (1974). Parent-child drug-abuse: Generational continuity or adolescent deviancy?Adolescence 9: 351–364.
Teichman, M., Rahav, G., and Barnea, Z. (1987). Alcohol and psychoactive drug-use among Israeli adolescents: An epidemiological and demographic investigation.Int. J. Addict. 22: 81–92.
Weinstein, R. M. (1978). The avowal of motives for marijuana behavior.Int. J. Addict. 13: 887–910.
Winfree, L. T. (1985). Peers, parents and adolescent drug use in a rural community: A twowave panel study.J. Youth Adoles. 14: 499–512.
Zuckerman, M. (1975). Manual and research report for the sensation seeking scale (SSS). Unpublished manuscript. Department of Psychology, University of Delaware.
Zuckerman, M. (1983). Sensation seeking: The initial motive for drug abuse. Gottheil, E., Pruley, K. A. Skoloda, J. E., and Waxman, H. M. (eds.),Etiological Aspects of Alcohol and Drug Abuse. C. C. Thomas, Springfield, IL:
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This work is based on the doctoral dissertation of Zipora Barnea supervised by Meir Teichman and Giora Rahav, and submitted to the Tel-Aviv University. The research was partially supported by a grant from the National Interministerial Committee on Substance Use and the National Research and Development Foundation.
Received Ph.D. from Tel-Aviv University. Research interests are substance use, delinquency, and social deviance.
Received Ph.D. from University of Missouri. Research interests are drug and alcohol abuse, and family violence.
Received Ph.D. from Indiana University. Research interests are substance use, delinquency, and cross-national studies of deviant and violent behavior.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Barnea, Z., Teichman, M. & Rahav, G. Personality, cognitive, and interpersonal factors in adolescent substance use: A longitudinal test of an integrative model. J Youth Adolescence 21, 187–201 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537336
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537336