title: Sensation-seeking as a moderator of the effects of peer influences, consistency with personal aspirations, and perceived harm on marijuana and cigarette use among younger adolescents.
abstract: Concurrent effects of peer influence and protective cognitive variables on marijuana and cigarette use are hypothesized to be contingent on adolescent sensation-seeking. The hypothesis was tested in 1999-2000 using a survey given to eighth graders (N=3127) in 20 U.S. middle schools. Results largely supported the hypothesis that peer pressure and perceived peer marijuana use had only a relatively trivial effect on low sensation-seekers and a much greater effect on high sensation-seekers. In addition, aspirations inconsistent with marijuana use appeared protective for high sensation-seekers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Journalism and Technical Communication, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-1785, USA. michael.slater@colostate.edu
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Slater
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003071:Cognition; D003657:Decision Making; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D010379:Peer Group; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*