Childhood predictors of adolescent marijuana use: early sensation-seeking, deviant peer affiliation, and social images.
This study examined psychosocial mechanisms by which children's early sensation-seeking may influence their later marijuana use. In a longitudinal study, 4th and 5th grade elementary school children (N=420) were followed until they were in 11th and 12th grades in high school with annual or biennial assessments. Sensation-seeking (assessed over the first 4 assessments) predicted affiliating with deviant peers and level of favorable social images of kids who use marijuana (both assessed over the subsequent 3 assessments). Affiliation with deviant peers and the growth in social images predicted marijuana use in 11th and 12th grades. Affiliation with deviant peers mediated the effect of early sensation-seeking on subsequent marijuana use. The theoretical and applied significance of this influence of early sensation-seeking is discussed.
Department of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, UK. sarah@ori.org
Sarah E
SE
Hampson
Judy A
JA
Andrews
Maureen
M
Barckley
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010379:Peer Group; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012931:Social Environment