Cognitive Processes in Adolescent Drug Use: The Role of Positivity Bias and Implications for Prevention Policy

Este artículo describe el papel de cuatro tipos de variables relacionadas con errores cognitivos en el ámbito del abuso de drogas: errores cognitivos-informativos, limitaciones en los procesos cognitivos que ocurren durante periodos de experimentación con consumo de drogas, mantenimiento de la congruencia creencia-conducta y distorsión situacional/contextual. Diversas estrategias de prevención actuales tienen como objetivo neutralizar estas variables relacionadas con errores cognitivos. El abordaje de dichas variables permitiría el desarrollo de nuevas estrategias preventivas del abuso de drogas. AbstractThis paper describes the role of four types of cognitive misperceptionrelated variables in the arena of drug misuse: cognitive-information errors, limitations in cognitive processes occurring during a period of experimentation with drug use, belief-behavior congruence maintenance, and situational/contextual distortion. Several current prevention strategies are provided aimed to counteract these misperception-related variables. By addressing each of these variables, novel drug misuse preventive strategies might be uncovered.

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Risk, Protection, and Vulnerability to Adolescent Drug Use: Latent-Variable Models of Three Age Groups

Journal of Drug Education ◽

10.2190/2mjd-y7uk-anym-vk3a ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 49-82 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Lawrence M. Scheier ◽

Michael D. Newcomb ◽

Rodney Skager

Keyword(s):

Drug Use ◽

Protective Factors ◽

Latent Variable ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Age Groups ◽

Ninth Grade ◽

Polydrug Use ◽

Adolescent Drug Use ◽

Specific Effects

Much research has focused on the relationships between risk factors and adolescent drug use (DU). Less is known regarding the role of protective factors and how they may inoculate youth from initiating or escalating their DU. Using latent-variable modeling and a risk factor method, we examined the cross-sectional role of risk and protective factors in predicting teenage DU for three age groups, separately by gender. Data are from a biannual statewide survey of California students. A Vulnerability latent construct was reflected in three unit-weighted indexes: risk for initiation to DU, risk for problem DU, and protection from DU. A Polydrug Use construct was reflected in eight measures of alcohol and drug use. Structural equation models revealed that for all age/gender groups, Vulnerability was strongly related to Polydrug Use as well as having specific effects on the DU measures. Effects between Vulnerability and DU were more numerous for seventh and eleventh grade than ninth grade students. Ninth grade females had the fewest effects overall. Number of specific effects between protection and DU remained stable with increasing age. Results underscore two important foci for prevention: 1) the importance of considering age-related developmental phenomena in the overall context of DU prevention; and 2) that programs continue to emphasize risk reduction, while simultaneously developing and reinforcing protective agents.

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