Marijuana primes, marijuana expectancies, and arithmetic efficiency.
OBJECTIVE
Previous research has shown that primes associated with alcohol influence behavior consistent with specific alcohol expectancies. The present study examined whether exposure to marijuana-related primes and marijuana expectancies interact to produce similar effects. Specifically, the present study examined whether marijuana primes and marijuana expectancies regarding cognitive and behavioral impairment interact to influence performance on an arithmetic task.


METHODS
Two independent samples (N = 260) of undergraduate students (both marijuana users and nonusers) first completed measures of marijuana-outcome expectancies associated with cognitive and behavioral impairment and with general negative effects (Sample 2). Later in the semester, participants were exposed to marijuana-related (or neutral) primes and then completed an arithmetic task.


RESULTS
Results from Sample 1 indicated that participants who were exposed to marijuana-themed magazine covers performed more poorly on the arithmetic task if they expected that marijuana would lead to cognitive and behavioral impairment. Results from Sample 2 indicated that, for marijuana users, cognitive and behavioral impairment expectancies, but not expectancies regarding general negative effects, similarly moderated arithmetic performance for participants exposed to marijuana-related words.


CONCLUSIONS
Results support the hypothesis that the implicit activation of specific marijuana-outcome expectancies can influence cognitive processes. Implications for research on marijuana are discussed.
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, USA.
Joshua A
JA
Hicks
Sarah L
SL
Pedersen
Denis M
DM
McCarthy
Ronald S
RS
Friedman
D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect; D001290:Attitude; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology*; D055641:Mathematical Concepts; D055815:Young Adult